Season 3: Rebuilding Life
by Ibaraz
Summary: My version of S3. Six months have passed since Slade's defeat. Oliver continues to fight crime as the Arrow while trying to reclaim QC with the help of his trusted friends: Diggle and Felicity. Old foes return, new allies arrive, relationships are endangered and ancient ghosts threaten all of them as Team Arrow fight to rebuild their lives. O/F, O/L, F/OC etc.
1. Break Of Day

_A/N: This might be one of my biggest projects to date. I'm going to attempt writing an entire 'Season 3' of Arrow to keep me busy during the hiatus. I might leave some things out, such as the island years – I'm not invested enough to focus on that. There's enough to focus on in the present day, anyway. I hope I'm not taking water over my head (which I might definitely have), and that I don't screw it up along the way. _

_This is just a fun idea (and a whole new way of writing for me), so try not to take it too seriously. These are mainly wishes and ideas drawn from my own mind (and sometimes inspired from the general echo on tumblr). There's certainly no ambition beyond having a good time._

_There will be new characters introduced, plot twists to die for (pun intended), old foes returning, new villains and a lot of emotion to stir the pot._

_Now, bear with me! This story will have 23 'Episodes', just like an ordinary season and include storylines about everyone (more or less – a real season would do this a lot better than little ole' me ever could alone). _

_Readers beware! I am an Olicity shipper, but I don't think you can get away with season 3 without some Laurel/Oliver. I want to do them __all__ justice, so please don't be pissed if a ship doesn't suit your taste in a certain 'Episode'. There will be a lot of push/pull between __everyone__ since it's supposed to resemble an entire season so hang in there until the end._

_Also, just as the show has done thus far: I will take some liberties with 'comic canon'. But I will do some research and pull some stuff from canon – with my own perspective and twist to characters and plots._

_P.S: I don't know much about how American companies work on this level, so a lot in that story line may not work in the real world, but let's pretend this works for the Arrow universe, can we? The same goes for many other things, I imagine, but I'll try and make this story quite 'authentic'. _

_Also: English is not my first language and sometimes mistakes slip in there that I might not catch. If you see a glaring mistake I'm always grateful if you point it out so I can get my shit together._

_Disclaimer: Obviously I own nothing of this! Everything belongs to the rightful owners at CW, DC and others._

_Synopsis for Episode 1: Six months has passed since Oliver Queen defeated Slade Wilson. Oliver still work tirelessly as the Arrow, alongside trustworthy team members John Diggle, Felicity Smoak and Roy Harper, to put an end to crime in Starling City. Another main goal for Oliver is to win back his family's company, but a sharp turn of events introduces a couple of players that might set him back. As far as new players go, there are a few more of those about to make an explosive entrance in Starling City… _

_I hope you'll enjoy reading this!_

* * *

**Arrow **

**Season 3: Rebuilding Life**

**3x01: Break of Day**

Oliver hunched down on his tree branch and shifted to make his position somewhat comfortable, but without relaxing any of his muscles. He sat like a tense predator in the dead of night, tightly gripping his bow in one hand, listening to the howling wind and the distant noises of the late evening around him. Though he felt nothing out of the ordinary about any of it, he knew appearances could be deceiving. There was a good reason, after all, why he was perched unseen in the thick greens of a tree in the middle of a park near Star Bridge.

"Any sign of our mystery guy?" he heard a familiar voice over the Bluetooth headset and focused his mind to stay alert on the mission.

Felicity was out of breath and Oliver's fingers clenched reflexively around the compound bow. The blonde had volunteered as bait for this particular mission, and he'd agreed to it after a slightly heated debate on the topic.

The whole thing had started a few weeks ago, when a furtive killer had started terrorizing Starling City. The unknown killer had started by frightening random, female joggers out for a late run, but it had quickly escalated to twisted and sadistic murder. Over the past week, he'd killed three young, innocent women in the cover of darkness in different parks across town that suited his taste.

Detective Lance had brought the case to the Arrow's attention and had suggested they co-operate to bring the sick bastard down since the guy seemed stellar at avoiding the police's attention. Since neither Quentin, Diggle nor Oliver had many feminine traits, Felicity had offered herself up as fresh bait to be dangled before the jaws of death. She'd triangulated the man's usual hot spots and for the past three nights the trio (with Diggle surveying them from the lair) had tried to lure the killer out by having her jog alone through different parks across town. So far no one had taken the bait. The closest they'd come was a couple of harmless teenagers that had wolf-whistled when the slender blonde had jogged past them.

"It's quiet on the East side," Lance's irritated voice responded in his ear.

"Nothing for me either," Oliver grumbled, his own tone mechanically altered by the voice filter.

The Detective spoke again, "I don't think tonight's the night."

"I'll take another lap," Felicity's strong tone was decisively stubborn in reply. She was definitely not ready to call it a night yet, and there was no point arguing.

Oliver stretched his neck to peek through the thick foliage that surrounded his hideout. In the distance he saw her pink sweat jacket and blonde ponytail jog past a couple of low bushes in a steady pace.

"I can't believe this son of a bitch hasn't taken the bait yet," Lance muttered angrily over the headset. "Not that I particularly want him to take _this_ bait… I just want him imprisoned for what he's done."

"Don't worry, Detective," Oliver reassured through gritted teeth as his gaze stayed on the woman further away. "We'll stop him before he hurts someone else."

"I'd really like to take your word for that, you know."

* * *

Felicity listened to their voices in her ear as she focused on keeping her breathing even. She'd never been the greatest runner in the world, though she'd gotten better at it since joining Team Arrow. Still, her lungs had started to burn from exhaustion and her muscles ached for a break. She just didn't want to give up yet. As long as she was putting herself out there as bait, there was a good chance their perv didn't go after someone else.

Suddenly, Diggle's voice cut through the others in her earpiece. "The monitors suggest movement on your left, Felicity."

She opened her mouth to reply when she suddenly felt something strong encircle her waist. She shrieked as the arms easily picked her off the ground. The earpiece fell out of her ear as she trashed and it smashed against the ground. Before it did, she was _almost_ certain she'd heard Oliver react upon hearing her scream.

Felicity struggled against her attacker and tried to get loose from his iron grip that kept tightening around her smaller frame. Panic rose in her chest like the tide and she found herself relying on instinct rather than training. Somehow, she managed to stomp down hard on the man's foot. What happened next transpired in a matter of seconds, and Felicity was barely aware of the events.

As the man yelped and cursed in pain, the blonde took the offered window of opportunity and elbowed him hard in the guts. As her attacker stumbled backwards, she felt the cool, night air embrace her frame comfortingly. Her heart still beat like thunder inside her chest and she was well aware that she was far from safe, with or without Quentin and Oliver rushing towards her.

Felicity spun around in a flash and threw a frantic punch in the man's direction. She wasn't entirely sure if she'd hit anything but air as her hand never felt anything solid, but the man went down like a fallen tree. The woman spun forward again and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her heart still beating frantically in her ear and panic pulsating through her veins. Oliver had told her before-hand to run as soon as she could get loose, and leave him to do the rest.

* * *

The Arrow landed on the ground next to the fallen attacker. He glanced down at the unconscious guy in dark sweats and then let his gaze drift up to follow the fleeing woman in the distance. He watched her pink jacket grow smaller and smaller on the horizon.

"_Talk to me_," Diggle's voice called anxiously over the headset.

"… She clocked him," Oliver remarked and heard how his own tone raised a notch in the deep shadows of the night.

The other man chuckled. "You sound surprised."

"_Proud_."

Oliver turned as he heard Lance's quick steps come running towards him. The detective had his sidearm raised and ready as he gazed down at the fallen man and then up at his ally. The policeman easily took in the vigilante's passive stance beside the fallen man and filled in the blanks.

Quentin breathed heavily as he lowered his gun with a frown and pointed down at their suspect, "_She_ did that?"

The Arrow simply inclined his head.

The policeman exhaled heavily and nodded in admiration. "Ms Smoak's tougher than she looks."

Oliver couldn't help but agree as he lowered his head to conceal the ghost of a smile beneath the green hood. "I believe you can handle things from here, Detective?"

Lance waved the vigilante off as he withdrew a pair of handcuffs and knelt beside the unconscious man. "Yeah, yeah. I got this. This fella's going away for a long time. Make sure to thank Ms Smoak from me… if you can catch her, that is."

* * *

Felicity's panic reigned within her mind even as she ran down the steps to their secret lair a while later. The old lair had been abandoned after Slade had destroyed it and also because the team had agreed that too many people knew of its whereabouts. Instead they had re-modeled and re-decorated Oliver's _second lair_ to be their new 'Arrowcave'. Felicity had very discreetly _re-directed_ funds from Isabel Rochev's personal account for the purpose and with some investments from A.R.G.U.S, the place was more up to date than the first lair had ever been.

This lair had many benefits compared to the other: not least because of its size. It was considerably bigger, and more safely located, than the lair under Verdant had been. There was even space for several areas with different, particular purposes. In the main area of the lair, from right to left as you entered, they had a smaller archery section, Felicity's computers, one open space for workout and sparring as well as a medical bay right by the base of the stairs. In a backroom they'd set up a little lab and stock of supplies. There was also a changing room, a smaller gym, a bathroom and a bedroom further down a corridor.

After six months of hard work, the place had become a home and safe haven to their little team. Only Oliver, Diggle, Felicity, Roy, Lyla and Laurel knew the location of this secret lair, and they saw no need to elongate the shortlist any time soon.

As Felicity came to a halt in the center of the main area, she found herself out of breath as she gazed at her two partners standing idle beside her workstation at the opposite end of the room.

"Hey…" she breathed. The panic slowly subsided as she saw her friends safe and sound, but the wild thunder raged on inside her chest. She swallowed and took a step towards them as her lungs heaved for reprieve. "Is… anyone else… out of breath?"

She frowned as Diggle and Oliver merely exchanged an amused grin.

"What?" she asked and walked forward as Oliver, still clad in his green leather, held out a pale towel for her. She dabbed it across her forehead and was surprised to realize how sweaty she was. She ignored the thought as she faced the leather-wearing man. "How did you get here so fast?"

His voice rumbled with tacit amusement as he remarked, "…I have a motorcycle."

Felicity frowned. "The guy went with Detective Lance without a fight then?"

"You could say that… You knocked him out."

The sweaty woman snorted as she slung the towel over her shoulder. "No, I didn't."

"Your hand."

Her scowl increased before she humored him. She looked down at her right hand and exhaled as she saw blood and broken skin on her otherwise pale knuckles. "_Whoa_." As her brain kick-started itself into action, her mouth fell open in comprehension, "I ran all the way here!"

"14 blocks," Diggle affirmed and crossed his arms over his wide chest. "You got to love adrenaline and shock."

"I'm not going to love it when it wears off," Felicity moaned and rambled, "My legs will _kill_ me tomorrow. I haven't run that far since my buddies Stephen and Colin tricked me and signed me up for a charity run at MIT. I could barely walk for two days after that…"

Oliver took a step towards her and nodded down at her limb. "I'm more worried about your hand. Let me have a look at it."

She inclined her head and watched as he gently reached out to her alabaster skin. He twisted her hand and prodded without any pain to the woman. At last he released her with a satisfied grin. "Nothing's broken. I'll just wrap it for you."

"Fine…" Felicity breathed as she followed the man across the room to the med bay by the stairs. She hopped onto the steel table as Oliver searched for bandages and antiseptic in a drawer nearby. He quickly found what he was looking for and moved back towards the table.

The young blonde watched him work on her hand in intrigued silence. After a few seconds, she muttered under her breath, "I can't believe I did that. I certainly didn't mean to. I just… _panicked_."

Diggle slowly stepped over to complete their triangle and placed a heavy hand on her lean shoulder. "You've got good reflexes."

"_Bad_ _ones_, I'd say," she disagreed and looked up at him. "I couldn't really remember any of my training. All I could hear was your voice in my head, telling me that one of the strongest bones in a body is the elbow so that I should use that to inflict injury if necessary… But then it wasn't exactly a calculated punch."

The eldest man grinned, "The important thing is that you did react, _despite_ the panic. Not many people do with as little training as you in the field. We'll work on getting the basics right next."

"While Diggle makes a fair point," Oliver said as he finished dressing her hand and fixed her with an earnest, yet pointed, gaze. "I need you back behind the computers right now."

"With pleasure," she smiled widely and jumped off the table. "But first… I think a shower is in order!"

The guys smiled as they watched their friend walk out of the room heading for the bathroom down the hall. She'd barely stepped out of the main area when a shrill sound interrupted the relaxed silence. The hooded vigilante stepped back over to his ringing phone by the computers and picked it up as he recognized the caller-ID.

"Walter?" Oliver asked as he pressed the phone to his ear. "Is something wrong?"

The Brit's voice was firm and calm, revealing not an ounce of emotion, as he explained, "We should meet, Oliver. There's some change regarding Queen Consolidated that I think we ought to discuss."

"I'll stop by your office first thing tomorrow morning. See you then," Oliver said and hung up the phone.

"Anything wrong?" Diggle's worried voice cut through the other man's thoughts.

Oliver shrugged as he met his best friend's gaze and tentatively admitted, "I don't know."

* * *

As Oliver stepped into the grand elevator the follow morning, he found his mind wandered to the past few months and everything that had transpired since they'd defeated Slade Wilson. Six months had passed since that day, six months since Felicity had injected the mentally deranged Aussie with the Mirakuru-cure, six months since Oliver himself had bested Slade in combat once and for all.

The mad man was locked away in an A.R.G.U.S prison on Lian Yu, where he'd be spending _a lot_ of time. Even as his mind wandered to his old ally, Oliver couldn't help but feel remorse touch his heart. He'd hoped that the man's psychosis was founded in the effects of the Mirakuru, but Slade had hated him no less after being given the cure. Whatever bond between brothers they had once shared was gone forever. Oliver was still glad he'd chosen the right path and not killed Slade in the end. He'd come out a better man on the other side after he'd faced his crucible, and in a strange way he had Slade to thank for that.

In the months that had followed, Oliver had focused on rebuilding some sort of 'normalcy' in the wake of the war he'd waged with his former ally.

Normalcy had included getting a decent job and income: something which Amanda Waller and A.R.G.U.S had happily provided. The secrecy of the job stood in stark contrast to the media's constant attempts of getting an exclusive of him: Oliver Jonas Queen, ex-billionaire, playboy and son adrift. The press had painted quite the dreadful (and entirely false) picture the first month or two, but when he'd simply kept away their interest had slowly died down.

He didn't really care about the press or his official figure that much anymore, to be fair. Right now he needed to focus at rebuilding one thing at a time, and his main focus was on earning money to be able to get Queen Consolidated back. The company was his and belonged with no one else but the Queen family. Hence, the alliance he'd built up with Walter.

When Oliver had explained his plan to his former step-dad months ago, the latter hadn't missed a beat as he'd promised to help. They both owned a small share of the QC stock, but not even together they were strong enough to make a small wave on a vast ocean.

As the elevator reached the right floor, Oliver exhaled and pulled himself from the bottom of his well of thoughts. He smoothed a crease on his grey suit jacket as he stepped into the old-fashioned, extravagant corridor of Starling City Bank. He walked the familiar path until he reached the office door marked with the bold letters 'FINANCIAL MANAGER' and knocked on the stained glass.

As expected, Walter himself opened the door and smiled affectionately as he recognized his visitor. The two men shook hands before the younger was invited inside. Oliver closed the door behind him before he followed the elder man over to the man's wide, mahogany desk.

Where Queen Consolidated (and even the secret lair) was modern and edgy in its interior design, Starling City Bank was quite old-fashioned and relied heavily on the taste of old men in charge. There was a lot of rich wood, panorama windows and heavy curtains to go around.

"Please have a seat, Oliver," the Brit said as he sank into his own chair and the warmth in his eyes lingered. "I'm glad you could come so quickly. As I told you, I have some news…"

"Good or bad?" the younger man asked as he sat down in the leather chair.

"That remains to be seen," Walter replied in a business tone of voice and the genuine affection for his family was replaced by a weary edge. "Do you know Ned Foster?"

Oliver racked his memory bank for the name. "Of course. The COO of Queen Consolidated."

"He was, yes," Walter nodded and crossed his hands atop of the desk as he leaned forward. "Ned Foster was the swiftest player after Isabel Rochev's… fall from grace. He - and Simon Cross, as you know - purchased QC right from under our nose six months ago."

"I have a vague recollection of the memory," the younger man breathed with a sarcastic twinge.

"Their partnership didn't last long, it would seem. Ned Foster sold his share of the company this morning."

Oliver blinked. "Why?"

Walter grimaced as he leaned back in his seat. "The phrase 'abandon a sinking ship' might have been uttered to explain his actions. After Isabel's era as CEO, the company stock has been diminishing in value. In fact, it's been diminishing for a lot longer than that. QC hasn't fully recovered after all the turns with your late mother, your partnership with Isabel and everything in the wake of Slade Wilson. The stock just hit its all-time low and Ned didn't see the point of lingering any longer."

"Ned owned… 48 % of the company, didn't he? Who bought his share?"

"It all happened so quickly that I don't have the details for you yet. Simon Cross attempted to buy some, though Ned apparently tried to keep him out of the loop."

"Simon has single majority interest then?"

Walter hesitated on the precipice as he slowly shook his head, "_Possibly_. He's acting CEO now, if nothing else."

Oliver ran a hand across his short stubble and released a deep breath as he tried to process the information. He felt as if he was in the ring for a boxing match, and getting the crap beaten out of him. "You said there might be good news."

"The market went a bit wild when Ned sold his share so sudden. Though I was expecting it to happen sooner rather than later, I wasn't swift enough to buy anything. A friend of ours did, however."

"…A friend?"

"Do you remember the Deleon family, owners of Deleon International?"

Oliver nodded slowly. "They were old friends of my family years ago, when the Deleons' still lived here in Starling. They moved to London very suddenly, if I recall correctly. God… I haven't thought about them for a _long_ time. John and Ann, right? And their daughter; Jane?"

"I've known them for many years, since my own youth in England. I'm the one who introduced them to your parents over two decades ago," Walter reminisced with a fond smile before he refocused their attention. "I told Deleon International's VP of Operations a few months ago about our plan to bring QC back to your family when I was certain we could use outside assistance. I was promised help from the Deleon family. It would seem they've stepped up and given the help now… The VP was more prepared than I was for Ned's move and bought a share. I don't know how big a share, or if we'll have majority interest together."

"… You brought in outside help?" Oliver asked and felt his voice drop into a low growl. He clenched his jaw and tried to contain his irritation. He knew the older man had acted entirely out of good will, but still couldn't hide his disappointment. "Walter… I can't trust anyone _but you_ with this right now."

Steele grimaced with an understanding nod and then proceeded to steadily clarify, "We'll take it one step at a time, Oliver. All I know is that… things happened faster than I expected, and we needed to act now or lose our first _good_ chance at doing this. Hopefully she bought a substantial part and will come here to help us finalize a deal to bring you closer to your rightful inheritance... _I_ trust her. I promised I would take care of this part, Oliver. You can focus on earning your own money while we wait for answers."

The younger man nodded slowly and met the other's confident eyes. "When do we know for sure?"

"Within the week, Oliver," Walter assured but his features briefly darkened with a passing shadow. "But there's more… I only just heard. There is a rumor that someone else also made a purchase. I don't know who. No one seems to know right now. I'll investigate the matter."

"Thank you, Walter..." Oliver nodded as he rose from his seat in a fluid motion. "Could you let me know when you get more information?"

"Of course," the older man promised and the younger turned around to head for the exit, when the Brit called him back, "And, Oliver?"

"Mm?" the man glanced back over his shoulder.

Walter's face seemed anguished for a second as he voiced a mutual concern of theirs that was far closer to heart, "You… haven't heard from Thea, have you?"

Oliver felt his own face fall before he could put on a façade and grumbled, "No… Still nothing."

"She'll come home eventually, Oliver," the older man smiled grimly and the conviction mingled with grief. "When she's ready for it."

"… I hope so."

* * *

It was late afternoon when Oliver descended the steps into the lair, with his suit jacket lazily thrown across his shoulder. He glanced into the main area and was only mildly surprised to see a guest standing beside the glass cases by one of the walls.

Laurel Lance, clad in a knee-length, crimson dress befit of the DA's office, stood with her back towards the entrance, seemingly lost in her own mind as she gazed up at the black leather jacket in the glass case next to the one containing the Arrow's outfit on a mannequin top-half.

"Hey…" Oliver breathed as he reached the bottom.

The slender beauty turned at the sound of his voice and offered him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Hi, Ollie. I was just…"

"… I miss her, too, Laurel," he assured as he stepped up to her side and glanced up at the Canary jacket.

"It's been awhile since she was in contact, I was wondering if maybe you…"

"No. Sorry…" the man said regretfully with a hasty shake of the head. "I take that as a good sign, though. If something _was_ wrong, we'd know about it."

Laurel threw him a pointed glare, though her eyes gleamed with something akin to amusement. "She's in a league of assassins, _everything_ about it is wrong."

Oliver could but agree, but he didn't need words to convey that particular opinion to the woman beside him. A companionable silence descended in the lair as they both got lost in their own memories.

Eventually, Laurel's voice filled the room to the brim as she spoke up, "… I want to take her place. On the team."

The man closed his eyes tight for a second before he turned around to gaze down at the woman. "… _No_."

"But, Ollie-"

"We've had this discussion before," his tone was rough like sandpaper and his voice practically scratched at the inside of his throat as he denied her what he knew she desired the most.

Her eyes danced with something close to desperation and exasperation as she reached out a hand to grip his upper arm, "_Train me_. Test me and see what I am capable of… Just give me a chance, Ollie. That's all I'm asking!"

Oliver sighed as he looked down at her pale hand where it rested atop his white shirt. His gaze rose to meet hers once more as he put into words what they both knew to be true, "It's not though, Laurel."

She opened her mouth to retort, but the sound of footsteps descending into the lair broke the moment like fragile glass. They both turned as Diggle and Felicity stepped into the main area, still clad in their autumn jackets. The new arrivals stopped talking as they faced the couple already present in the lair.

"Oh!" Felicity breathed as she saw the visitor and tried to sense the atmosphere around them. "… Hey, Laurel. How are you? Didn't know you were here. Not _disappointed_ or anything, just didn't know you'd be here. Are we interrupting? We should consider socks on the door knob… or some other _grown up_ way of handling situations like these."

Oliver exhaled slowly. "_Felicity_."

Diggle brought them back to the matter at hand as he stepped forward on firm feet and raised his voice, "Amanda Waller just called. We've got another job, it's small, but it didn't sound like a walk in the park."

"They never are with Amanda," the bearded man sighed as he let some of the tension leave his body.

Felicity shrugged out of her jacket and discarded it beside her monitors as she stayed on track. She spared a brief glance at Oliver and Laurel before she sat down and got to work. "Let me show you. _Here_." She pulled up a map of Starling City, with a couple of blinking dots in the Eastern end of it. "Two bombs exploded almost exactly at the same time last night. The police report suggests it was similar bombs, homemade by the same manufacturer."

Oliver stepped over and looked down at the map. "The same criminal?"

The blonde nodded and her long ponytail grazed her shoulder as she looked from the man to the screens. "It looks that way. Now, nothing too odd about that, except that two bombs went off the day before that, too. At the other end of town, at almost the same time."

"Casualties?" Laurel asked from the side lines.

Felicity focused on finding the police reports and pulled them up for the team to see. "Ehm… No deaths, seven people seriously injured, though – one of them a kid."

"Any other clues?" Oliver questioned.

"All four bombs were located in different stores. A jewelry, a bakery, a pawn shop and an interior design shop... I really liked that design shop. Practically bought half my home from it."

"Anything that ties them together?"

"I just had a quick search on my tablet on the way here and get this…" the IT girl pulled up the relevant articles for the attacks and waved a hand in their general direction as she explained, "All the stores attacked have _one_ common denominator as far as I can tell: they share the same insurance company. Based on the locations and possible clientele, I'd say the insurance rates will go through the roof if the bombers continue... I think we're looking at highly warped insurance fraud."

Diggle leaned back against the desk on her other side. "Worse is, if they escalate people could get seriously maimed or killed. The attacks are getting more forceful, with more damage as a result."

Oliver nodded and turned back to his blonde IT girl, "Any lead on who it could be?"

Felicity quickly chipped in with the answer as she showed him the evidence, "Security footage from Thompson Street doesn't give us a clear image, but you can make out a dark van outside the building and several people entering it about ten minutes before the bomb in there went off. It looks like it might be an organized gang. They're all wearing balaclavas, though, so no positive ID yet. No clear shot of the plates either…"

"Do we have any leads where their next target might be?"

At last, the fair woman admitted defeat, "Sorry… That's all I've got."

Oliver flashed his partner a reassuring smile of a job well done as he gently commanded, "Go over the map of their previous targets, see if you can triangulate where they might target next. Call in Roy. We'll pull an all-nighter if we have to."

The man turned towards the glass case containing his suit. He was already in the right mode, but felt the rug sweep from under his feet as Laurel's voice interrupted his mind set, "Do you need help?"

Oliver set his jaw as he slowly turned back around to face his ex-girlfriend. "Laurel… Go home."

"I could be of use out there. You know I can help you!" the young woman called after Oliver as he collected his outfit and retreated to change in the back. When he was out of sight, the woman turned with an exasperated sigh and looked back at Diggle and Felicity.

The ex-military man merely shrugged as he met her gaze. "He hasn't let you join the last eleventy-seven times you've asked. If I were you, I wouldn't hold my breath he'll start tonight."

* * *

"Do you see anything, Roy?"

"Nah… It's quiet. Almost too quiet, you know?" came the response from the younger man as he leaned over the edge to gaze down at the road far below. The young man wore his red hero-suit and matching mask as he patrolled with his mentor these days. He'd quite gotten the hang of the hero life without the Mirakuru pumping through his veins and rather preferred being free from that rat poison.

Felicity's voice carried strong over their earpieces, "Sorry, guys, I've gotten you as close as I can to an eventual bomb sight. Truth is; we don't even know if there will be any explosions tonight."

Oliver grimaced as he replied, "We'll stay in the area just in case. Anything else happening tonight?"

"Seems like the SCPD has a quiet night and is also focusing on patrolling in search of the- _Whoa_!"

"Felicity?"

"A bomb just exploded about ten blocks away from you, in an old jewelry store. Based on the triangulation, a second bomb ought to go off in your-"

Both men flinched as they heard an explosion from a few blocks away. They saw the billowing smoke rise upwards, where it met the clouds and starry skies. Further away in the same direction, as if on a straight line, they could make out the smoke from the first explosion and heard the sirens even from their distant position.

"_Oh_!" Felicity exclaimed and her tongue was swift like a processor as she clarified, "The second one was exactly four blocks away from the first, that's odd… The other bombs have been 8-10 blocks apart. I-I thought… It ought to have been closer to-"

Before the woman had a chance to finish her sentence, there was a third, louder explosion just beside Oliver and Roy's rooftop. The powerful growl and deafening sound took the vigilantes by surprise, and they ducked low for cover. The bomb had gone off in the very building next to their own and they rushed over to the side of the building to gaze down at the damage. The flames licked the building across the road and the blazes reached for the heavens above, the smoke threatening to annihilate the moon in the sky. The heat of the fire was warm enough to reach across the road to the vigilantes. Shrieks of panic and pain erupted from within the belly of the fiery pit that presented itself before them, and people rushed out onto the streets to get away from the consuming inferno. Further away, a cacophony of police cars and fire engines echoed above the other noises.

"Are you okay?!" Felicity's panicked voice spoke in their ears.

"We're fine, but… How's that possible? We've been here the whole time..." Roy huffed with a scowl as his gaze scanned the streets below for any signs. He raised his hand and pointed straight at the intersection further away. "_There_!"

Oliver turned just in time to see the black van run a red light and disappear out of their line of view.

"Do we follow it?" Roy cried and looked back at the older man.

"No. There are people still inside the building who need our help. Come on!" the Arrow huffed as he fired a grappling hook arrow with an attached wire across the street. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Roy do the same before they swung themselves towards the burning building. They crashed through a couple of windows on the second floor and got to work in the heat.

* * *

"Another bomb attack transpired late last night in three stores across Starling City. At least twelve people were reportedly injured: three still in critical condition and one elderly woman died this morning with 90 % burns covering her entire body. The police are struggling to keep up with the gang that has become known as 'The Blazing Infernos'. The bombastic, criminal gang is quickly spreading fear through Starling-"

Felicity muted the broadcast and sighed as she stepped away from her monitors and the lair around her fell into a tense quietness.

Diggle watched as the woman paced in front of her workstation, her heels echoing rhythmically against the cold, hard floors. The man decided to voice what they were all thinking, "They're escalating. They've upped the game to three bombs per night."

Oliver shot his best friend a glance before facing the blonde wearing out the floor before him. "Was there anything different this time that might help us find them?"

"I tracked the van on the security cameras for as long as I could, but I lost it… They evidently know where the cameras are placed and how to _avoid_ them… The plates were fake, too."

"What about the bombs?"

"The first two explosions were just as the previous nights. The _third_ bomb, however, didn't follow the same patterns as the others when it exploded. It was far more reckless and encompassing than the others they've used. It's a _wild one_. That's why there were more people injured… and one killed."

"They probably filled the third one with more TNT for enhanced effect," Diggle suggested.

"But _why_?" Roy scowled from his position on the other end of the table. "Why are they escalating? Are they trying to send us some kind of message?"

"I don't know," Oliver shrugged and gazed down as Felicity came to a halt before him. He could offer her no refuge and merely held her gaze as he exhaled softly, "Call Lance and see if we can co-operate a mission to bring them down tonight."

* * *

The three brothers mock-wrestled each other as they entered their small, dingy house just outside of town. They pushed apart with adrenaline-filled mirth as they headed into the small kitchen.

"I can't believe the Arrow's still clueless about us…" Jasper let out a low whistle as he threw himself down on one of the chairs by the unsteady table. "Man, when we accepted this job… I don't know about you, but I was fucking positive he'd get to us the first night… The threat was barely worth the money… but _now_!"

Patrick shrugged his shoulders as he sunk onto another seat and dropped his balaclava on the table top. The dark mask seemed to glare back at him as he looked down at the eye holes. "Maybe he's getting lazy?"

"Don't fool yourselves," the third man, Doyle, scowled at his brothers as he handed them a bottle of beer from the fridge before taking one for himself. "We've gotten _lucky_ this far. That's all. Didn't you read the papers or listen to the news? The Arrow and his sidekick were at the sight of the third bomb only _minutes _after we left. They're getting closer to us… _Too_ _close_."

"Well… Not close enough, it would seem," the middle brother grinned coyly as his eyes darted from one brother to the other. "We've still got our heads attached, haven't we? This doesn't have to… _blow up_ in our faces."

Doyle glared at his brother with kindled irritation. "You're not funny, you know."

"Yeah, you are, Pat!" Jasper chortled. "Man, can you believe the money we're earning on this? And all because of a little explosive hobby! No more debts… and no more working nights at the _fucking_ deli! Only whores and fine drinking for the rest of our lives!"

An unexpected voice, dripping with impassive slickness and power, interrupted their discussion, "Well done, boys… Well done, indeed."

The three men scrambled frantically to attention as a man stepped out from the shadowy parts of the house and joined them in the untidy kitchen. The stranger was tall and lean, though his build suggested he was packing more muscle power than he let on. With a strong posture and smooth movements, he reminded all three brothers of a dangerous lizard, prepared to strike and snap everyone in half. The man's dark hair was slicked back and his olive skin tight around the muscles of his wide arms. The man had during their first encounter refused to give them a proper explanation, but the money he'd thrown in their faces, combined with his air of authority, had led them to not question it. They all had a feeling they were better off not knowing too much anyway.

Jasper was the first to recover and unsteadily sank back onto the edge of his chair, "Didn't see ya there, Mr Constantin… What's next for us? We only have one job left, am I right?"

The unnamed man grinned slyly. "The Arrow."

Doyle blinked rapidly as he took a step towards their employer. "... That better be a joke. The only reason we're still free and alive is because we _haven't_ encountered him yet. I thought that was the plan, too. To _not get caught_."

"I didn't say 'Get Caught'," the authoritative figure growled and the echo of his voice left no room for interpretation. Doyle visibly shrank back.

"Then what are you saying?" Patrick asked carefully as he saw the balance restored and felt the tension ease up marginally.

"_Blow him up_."

* * *

"Ms Smoak… Are you telling me the Arrow's suddenly taken an interest in insurance rates?" Quentin questioned as he stepped out of his car and locked it. "Is he pissed or something that he's not getting the same deal as everyone else trying to insure his precious arrows?"

"I… might have started at the wrong end with that," the woman stuttered over the phone. "I'm talking about the Blazing Infernos, Detective."

Quentin nodded distantly as he tried to follow her line of thinking. "Figured out the connection, did you? We were on the same track, as a matter of fact. Seems like the insurance company is the only connection between the targets. If felt like a long shot, but if you think so, too, maybe it's not so far off from target."

"He wants me to give you the possible co-ordinates for tonight. I can't give you an exact, but a pretty viable idea when and where the bombs might go off."

"I'd appreciate that information, Ms Smoak. I'll make sure patrol cars are in the neighborhood," the detective assured as he walked across the parking lot towards the building further ahead. "_Oh_, and there was one more thing. I wanted to thank you for helping us catch that guy in the park. That was one hell of a punch, you know. I told the Arrow to thank you from me, but…"

The woman seemed to shrug off his gratitude easily, "It must have slipped his mind."

"I figured it might. Listen, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but how about I take you out for burgers someday? As a thank you for what you did."

"There's no need."

Quentin tried to contain his sigh as he heard her deflect once more. With a slightly sterner voice, he added, "And also as a sign of _friendship_, Ms Smoak."

That seemed to do the trick as her voice became gentler and less business-like. "… I could do that."

"Great! I'll be in touch. Meanwhile, you take care of yourself, will you? I'd sleep sounder knowing that the Arrow won't be using you as bait anytime soon."

There was even a trace of amusement in her voice as she concluded, "I wasn't planning on it. Bye, Detective."

"Bye," he hung up as he stepped through the front door and stopped short just inside.

Several police cadets, and even veteran cops, nodded at him as he stepped further into the room. Behind most of them, in a corner of the large exercise hall, he saw his eldest daughter beating the crap out of a punching bag. He supposed it was better than being beaten by a bottle, but only marginally since he knew the real reason behind it. He exhaled slowly and crossed the final distance.

A thin sheen of sweat covered her forehead and shoulders as she lowered her boxing gloves and took a break as he approached.

"Hey, dad," Laurel breathed and removed one of her gloves to have a sip of water from the bottle he handed her.

"Hey…" Quentin grimaced and blinked innocently down at his girl as she moved back to the punching bag. "Remember when I told you not to get any ideas? This is exactly what I was talking about."

"I don't know what you mean, Dad."

He fixed her with a pointed glare. "Laurel, sweetheart… I'm your dad. You can't hide things from me."

"I'm just working out. Nothing more," she assured him with a small shrug as she re-started her training.

"_Nothing_…?" Quentin huffed. "Don't make me laugh!"

"I promise, Dad."

"Dinah Laurel Lance, don't lie to your father!"

Laurel dropped her stance then and turned her entertained frown in his direction. "… It's been awhile since you used your 'Mean Dad' voice."

Quentin shuffled from one foot to the other as he begrudgingly said, "Well, it's been awhile since you considered doing something this _moronic_. I'm concerned about you, sweetie."

"Me? What about _you_? You were in the hospital for _over a month_ recovering from your internal injuries after Slade Wilson's army attacked the city, and you returned to work not that long ago…" Laurel's perceptive eyes seemed to drill a hole into his brain and read his secrets without a problem. She lowered her voice to not be overheard as she confronted him, "Don't you think I heard the news and figured it out? You and the Arrow worked together to catch that Park Killer a few nights ago. I thought we'd agreed you would be careful and _not _endanger yourself while you recovered."

Her father waved his index finger in the air as he stepped closer to her, "This is _not_ about me! We both know I'm fully healed and wasn't in any danger that night… You're trying to change the topic, Laurel. If I asked you to reconsider and not pursue this crazy dream you have… would you listen to me?"

"I always listen to you," she smiled her most disarming smile.

"… But you never follow advice, do you? Stubborn child. Always having to walk your own path."

"Mmm…" the young woman cooed with a teasing grin. "Wonder who I get that from?"

Quentin didn't even miss a beat as he quipped, "Your mother."

* * *

"You have something for us, Felicity?" Oliver asked as he and Diggle gently jogged down the steps to the lair.

The woman barely glanced back at them as she showed them her finds on the monitors, "I do. I've spent the last hour triangulating possible bomb sights, and think I've got it. Based on the theory of elimination, it will be somewhere on _this_ horizontal line, spanning over 12 blocks. There are only five different venues optimal for their assault in this area. Get this: only _three_ of those stores have the same insurance company. I think it's where they'll attack tonight."

Diggle flashed her an impressed grin. "Good work, girl."

She returned the smile before she continued rambling, "Now, based on their usual window of operation and the fact that they leave the bombs out in the open - stupid, really, or just really cocky - I'd say there's a good chance we can find the bombs in time to disarm them tonight. We have no idea of knowing which will explode first or exactly when, so we'll need all hands on this."

"Fine," Oliver agreed with a tight nod. "I'll go after the first one, Diggle the second and you and Roy can take the third. How long do we have before they start exploding?"

"Well, the first bomb usually goes off around ten, so forty minutes from now. It's just a guess, but I imagine they're busy placing the bombs out as we speak. With any luck, we can catch the gang itself."

Oliver steadily held her gaze as he inclined his head a second time. "Let's get to work."

Felicity grimaced and wrung her hands in front of her blouse-clad chest as she said, "There's one more thing. I hacked the police report to see how these bombs were built, and they don't seem to be too tricky to disarm, except…"

"_Except_?" the man with the short scruff baited.

"Remember how I referred to the third bomb as a wild one? Boy, was I right. It's designed differently from the other two it's paired with. Not only does it mean it inflicts more damage, it will also be harder to deactivate. I won't go into details, but… If you find the _wild bomb_ - which will be pretty easy because it's the only one with blue wires – I suggest you evacuate rather than try to deactivate."

The guys exchanged a glance. Oliver turned back to the woman and agreed, "Alright. Call in Roy."

"Already ready," the youngest man called from somewhere behind them. The trio turned to see him step out from the backroom, dressed the part of hooded vigilante already. Roy offered them a sly grin and a shrug of his muscular shoulders. "What are you waiting for?"

* * *

As Roy stopped the motorcycle on the street just outside the toy shop, Felicity easily jumped off from behind him.

The young man tensed as his eyes drifted forward. "… Felicity," he said and nodded at the black van that was just about to cut a corner up ahead. Roy turned back to gaze up at her with conflicted eyes that seemed to ask for permission.

"Go! I'll be fine," she promised and the youngest vigilante nodded his head before he sped off on his motorcycle to chase the bad guys before they could get away a second time.

As soon as he was out of sight, the woman tapped her headset and informed the others of the current development. "We got here just in time to see the black van drive away. Roy's going after the Blazing Infernos while I'm going to find the bomb."

There was a slight pause, but she knew the other two had heard her. She was also positive they wanted to argue with her about the decision, but hopefully knew better by now. After a few long seconds, it was Oliver who spoke, "I've found my bomb."

"Do you want me to walk you through it?" the woman asked as she knelt by the front door to pick the lock.

"I think I can disarm it without help."

"_Careful_," she asked of him as the lock clicked and she pushed the door open.

It was an old toy store with rows and rows of new and vintage toys of varying size and attributes. She swallowed as she slowly stepped further into the store and looked for the bomb. The darkened store was quiet as the dead of night and she felt shivers run down her spine as she continued further into the heart of the business.

Oliver's voice interrupted her tense walk with a short, "It's done. It's disarmed."

"I've got my eyes on the second bomb…" Diggle's voice informed them then. "Hang on."

Felicity rounded an aisle and froze as she saw the device that rested on the floor only a few paces before her. It was metallic and almost a yard in length where it simply lay on the cold, tile floor. For an outsider, it might even have looked like another toy. She walked over to it and knelt beside it. "… And I just found the third one."

"_Dammit_," she heard John's voice cut through the night and she recognized the despair in his voice at once. She clenched her left hand into a tight fist as she reached out to the control panel of her bomb.

"What is it, Dig?" Oliver's concern was practically palpable in her ear.

"Mine's the regular bomb."

Felicity removed the mantle over the display of 'her' bomb and clarified, eliminating any trace of doubt as she spoke, "… I've got the wild one."

* * *

Roy's bike easily cut through traffic as he pursued the black van ahead. As the car swerved off onto a mostly abandoned road, the young vigilante saw his opportunity and seized it. He extended his left wrist and fired a small arrow at the back tire. The red arrow embedded itself in the rubber and exploded. As it blew, the van swerved off the road into a lamppost by the main road.

Roy parked his motorcycle a few feet away from the van and withdrew his bow as he approached. He threw upon the passenger door and aimed his bow at the three men squeezed into the front seat. They all looked at him with panic as the tip of his sharp arrow pointed at them one at a time.

"… You're not the Arrow," one of the men quipped at length.

"Astute observation," Roy growled, his voice contorted by the voice filter. "Now, I think we all know what just happened. It's time you surrender… Who are you?"

"We're the O'Flannigans, kid. Or, maybe you know us by our more flamboyant moniker: The Blazing Infernos."

"Have a nasty little family business, do you?" the vigilante snarled as he glanced between them. "I didn't know there was this much money in the insurance business."

The driver chortled and nudged the man sitting beside him. "Didn't I say they'd fall for it?"

"Not insurance fraud then?" Roy questioned as he read between the lines. "Tell me the truth!"

"You won't kill us," the man closed to him snorted.

"There are plenty ways to hurt you without killing you," the red hood assured in a low voice. "Spill!"

"It wasn't our idea, okay?!" the driver snarled. "We were paid to do it!"

"By who?!" Roy shouted right back.

"Quiet, Doyle!" the man in the middle hissed and reached for his brother.

"All we know is that it was a ruse to test the Arrow!" the driver continued and shrugged off the other man's hands. "We were hired by a man-"

Without warning, the van suddenly exploded. As it went up in flames, Roy was thrown back into the gravel by the shock wave. He moaned and coughed as his body hit the ground and ached all over. He felt unscathed and slowly pushed onto his feet again.

His jaw dropped as he gazed up at the van entirely consumed by fire and the smoke billowing towards the foreign skies.

* * *

Felicity licked her lips and shuffled in her position to get better access to the bomb and the many blue wires that glared back at her tantalizingly. "I might be able to disarm it."

"Felicity, _you_ made the call earlier - get out of there!"

"I could still-"

"_It's not up for debate!_" Oliver's voice growled in her ear.

The woman scowled as she turned off her microphone and leaned closer to the bomb on the ground. Oliver had a point, she had to get out, but a part of her wanted to deactivate this bomb first. If it went off, it could kill people and that was something she had rather wanted to avoid. She hesitated on the precipice.

An unfamiliar voice suddenly echoed in the darkness behind her, "You won't be able to deactivate it."

She yelped and jumped around hurriedly. She looked up at the source of the voice, and what she saw only increased her shock. Because of the darkened space, she couldn't make out much more than the silhouette and a few details of her company. The person – a man from the looks of his strong, muscular posture - wore a black mask with a dark, skin-tight suit of a rubbery-like substance she couldn't pinpoint. A blue figure of some sort seemed to be drawn across his chest, from shoulder to shoulder. She squinted. It looked similar to a bat.

The woman swallowed slowly and tried to keep a level head about the unexpected turn of events. She'd been in the business long enough to know a masked face could mean both friend or foe, and sometimes a little bit of both.

"How much time?" the man asked and she recognized the slight mechanical touch to the voice that had to be created by a hidden voice filter.

Felicity stuttered and turned back to the bomb. "…I don't know."

As she touched the mantle again, the bright display on the bomb suddenly showed a pixeled arrow followed by the word "DIE", before a clock started to count down from 1:00.

"Oh, that's not good," the blonde muttered under her breath.

The man's mechanically altered voice resonated between the walls behind her and pulled her back to clarity, "We need to get out of here. I've cleared the perimeter. No one else is in the house… Unless you want to die in here, I suggest you trust me."

The woman rose from the ground to face him. She decided to throw caution to the wind as she inclined her head and held his gaze.

* * *

As the bomb went off, Oliver was already rushing across the rooftops to get to the third location. Felicity's headset seemed to be turned off – or worse – and the possible reason behind it only drove him to greater speed. He flew across the rooftops like a ghost and before he knew it, he'd run the eight blocks to get to her.

He breathed heavily as he gazed up at the billowing smoke rising from the building she'd been in.

"Oliver? I'm with Roy. Do you see her?!" Diggle's panicked voice echoed in his earpiece.

Oliver's gaze flew across the streets below, but he could only see injured witnesses and firemen in the growing crowd. No Felicity Smoak. His gaze flew across the area and as they landed on the building across the street, his heart stopped. Through the thick, grey smoke, he made out two figures on the rooftop. One was definitely Felicity's slender frame but the other was noticeably taller and unfamiliar. He wasted no time as he fired a grappling hook arrow to swing himself across the abyss. As he swung, he saw the other masked man leap off the side of the building and disappear into the dead of night.

Oliver landed beside Felicity on the rooftop and she jumped by his sudden presence. His hand came up to her cheek as her shocked eyes tried to focus. Her hand, in turn, clasped his shoulder and clutched on tight to the leather, as if needing to reassure herself of his presence. Her face was tainted with soot but she seemed to be otherwise unharmed. Oliver released a relieved breath of air he hadn't been aware of keeping in.

"Hey, hey…" he whispered to try and calm them both down. His voice seemed to draw her back until her eyes cleared. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," she said and waved a hand in the direction the stranger had disappeared. "He got me out in time."

Oliver glanced in the same direction. "Who was _he_?"

"He… He wasn't very talkative," Felicity shook her head. "He only said his name was _Nightwing_…"

* * *

'_Episode 2' to come!_


	2. All Is Fair In Love And War

_Synopsis: A masked villain has invaded the streets of Starling City and kills off rich, young men while eluding the Arrow, much to the latter's chagrin. Elsewhere, Oliver and Walter meet their new partner who might help them reclaim QC, but the return of familiar face threatens to endanger everything._

_A/N: I more or less have a plan already for the entire 'season', and so I want to reassure my readers that this has a beginning, a middle and an end. I do not intend to abandon this or leave it unfulfilled. I also hope to update 1-2 'episodes per week (but I make no promises!)._

* * *

**3x02: All Is Fair In Love And War**

"You're almost there, Oliver. Turn right in the next intersection and it's the second house on your left."

The masked vigilante masterly steered his trusted motorcycle through the late traffic as he asked, "How long before the police comes?"

"About three minutes," the voice in his ear was pure and alert as it led him forward like a beacon in the night. "There were no cops in the area when the 911 call came through a minute ago. You were closest."

"Any news on that?" the Arrow inquired as he parked his bike in an alley beside the house in question and removed his helmet.

He gazed up at the tall, fancy building and could easily imagine the cost of some of these apartments. He was well aware that he was in one of the more expensive areas of Starling, an area he knew well from his younger, bachelor days when partying had been a favorite past time. In fact, he was pretty certain he'd been arrested for a DUI a couple of blocks away once. Not one of his proudest moments, looking back on it.

Felicity's voice brought him back to the present, "Nothing. The victim, Tony Chan, called and said there was a masked vigilante in his apartment out to get him. The line went dead before he could say anymore. No contact since, but I'm monitoring it just in case."

Her tone spoke smoothly and swiftly, as always prepared to fire an answer. Oliver had long ago stopped wondering about her readiness, but was no less impressed after all this time of partnership.

"Now," she continued and steered the conversation back to him. "There ought to be a fire escape next to you in the alley. Tony Chan's flat is on the third floor right above your position."

"Got it," Oliver announced as he stepped over to the wall.

He grabbed hold of the downspout and hauled himself up the pale, brick wall with ease. His muscles tensed beneath the green leather as he agilely climbed higher and higher. He scaled the building until he could grab hold of the metal of the fire escape and hauled himself onto one of the horizontal platforms.

He withdrew his bow and a ready arrow from his quiver as he climbed the remaining floors. Like a fleeting shadow, he slowly crept towards the window he was looking for and wasn't surprised to find it ajar already. It explained how their masked foe had gotten inside despite the heavy security that surrounded these luxury apartment buildings.

He controlled his breathing to be inaudible as he listened to the night. He heard a few dull noises from within the apartment and flexed his fingers on the bow string as he prepared himself to pounce.

Oliver slipped through the open window and raised his bow to full alert. He stepped further into the darkened living room, in which he could barely make out any shapes due to the lack of light. As his eyes got used to the dark, he made out more details. He saw the faint outline of a wide sofa in the middle of the room, several book cases by the walls as well as a widescreen and a dining room table at the other end of the vast chamber.

The sounds he'd heard earlier had been replaced by a deafening silence, but he wasn't fooled by the lull of false security. His trained senses could feel the presence of another in the room.

In the frail, pale glow of the low moon, he suddenly made out a silhouette on the floor behind the lavish couch. The hairs at the back of his neck stood at attention as he stepped towards the immobile shape. It was the form of a young man and the pool of blood beside the man's stomach told the morbid story on its own.

As Oliver hovered over the dead body, something suddenly came flying towards him from the belly of the darkest shadows. A body slammed into his and the bow slipped from his grasp as he lost his balance.

Both the Arrow and his attacker scrambled to their feet and for the fraction of a second their eyes met across a bottomless chasm.

Oliver's gaze sized up his opponent as he kept a cool head. The stranger was slender and shorter than him, with hair pulled back in a tight knot and face mostly hidden behind a teal domino mask that masked the tight, leather outfit she wore. He leaped forward to apprehend what he assumed was a woman. She agilely jumped out of the way with the graze of a gazelle and was out the window before Oliver could get a second chance. He rushed over to look outside. His eyes swept across the skies and the neighborhood, but there was so sign of her. The masked villain had already been swallowed by night's protective cloak.

With a defeated sigh, the vigilante stepped back inside to retrieve his bow and the discarded arrow.

"Oliver?" Felicity's voice carried itself anxiously over the Bluetooth headset.

The man sighed as he glanced back at the deceased body, half-forgotten in his abandoned pose on the floor. "Chan is dead. The attacker got away."

"You'd better get out of there. The cops are almost on your position."

Oliver turned back to the open window as he turned off his faint remorse for the fallen man. "I'll see you in the foundry."

* * *

"Hey," Felicity greeted as Oliver descended the stairs and made a beeline towards her workstation.

The woman wore a peach-colored dress and hair up in its usual ponytail as she worked. Her fingers clattered away in record speed on the keyboard as she brought up security footage for him to see. "I checked the security cameras from the roads outside Mr Chan's apartment, but they didn't capture any retrieving shape… But, and don't take this the wrong way, we're kind of lucky this transpired in the wealthier parts of Starling. Guess who had a security camera installed in his flat? I hacked into Mr Chan's private feed and look at this…"

She played the clip and Oliver leaned over her shoulder to watch the scene shot from a camera positioned in the living room. The footage was muted, but it was a pretty good view of the room itself. Together they watched as the masked woman toyed with her frightened victim like a cat playing with a ball of yarn. She momentarily left him half-beaten to enter the adjacent bedroom and they watched as the victim pulled out his phone with trembling hands. Before long, the woman returned with money and valuables in one hand, which she shoved into a small purse attached to her belt. With neither pause nor reprieve, she pulled out a gun and shot the man in the guts. They watched as Tony Chan fell backwards onto his wooden floor with an agonized grimaced.

"She's ruthless," Felicity cleared her throat and paused the feed. "Kind of looks like a one-sided BDSM show. Not that I… have any idea what that looks like. It's just a parallel… that's not very befitting. Or _too _befitting."

Oliver sighed as he stretched tall and squared his broad shoulders. "Any idea who it is?"

"No. The mask makes it difficult to get a positive ID and she mainly keeps her back to the cameras anyway. I think she knew where they were positioned..." the blonde mused and ran a hand over her blonde locks as her face clouded in contemplation. "It could be a long shot, but I'll look over the camera feed for the past couple of days; see if any women makes an appearance in Mr Chan's flat."

They both turned back as they heard steps descend into the lair and Diggle nodded in their direction. Oliver returned the greeting before swirling back to his blonde partner.

"Any guess as to why Chan was chosen?"

"Money?" Felicity shrugged. "We don't know who this woman is, so it's too early to venture a guess as to her motives."

The man ran a hand across his stubbled jaw line as he forced himself to back down. The woman was right and there was no point getting too worked up before they had more information. He cleared his mind and ventured onto another topic that gnawed at him, "… And what about our other masked friend?"

"Nothing," the woman sighed and swirled in her seat to face the other. "And I mean _not a thing_. Nightwing hasn't popped up since _that_ night. Perhaps he was a passing shadow."

"I still want to know who he was," Oliver admitted in a low grumble. "And you're sure it was a bat on his suit?"

"A dark-blue bat. Right across the chest. You know who it could be?"

"I've heard… stories of a Batman in Gotham City."

"A friend of yours?" Diggle questioned with a teasing hum as he stepped over.

Oliver grinned in reply, but the absence of a verbal reply seemed to speak louder than words ever could.

Felicity frowned. "Any chance the Batman and our Nightwing are two different entities?"

"Probably, but I get the feeling they might know each other," Oliver said with a meek shrug and let his words be sufficient response for the night. He could practically feel his friends curiosity take physical form in the lack of explanation, but also knew the truth would have to wait a little longer. "Keep looking, will you?"

The blonde inclined her head and turned back to her screens. "Of course."

* * *

Next morning, Oliver tiredly shuffled his feet as he sat in the red booth and waited for his breakfast date. Though the sun had peeked its head above the horizon it was still too early for most to be awake. It was certainly too early for Oliver to be wide-awake, but his fitful dreams meant he didn't get much sleep anyway. The diner was all but empty except for the odd regulars and the red-aproned waitresses that were cleaning the empty tables in preparation of the day.

Oliver's phone suddenly vibrated on the table top beside him and he glanced down at the Caller-ID. _Laurel_. Oliver muted the incoming call and tried his best to ignore the tugging sensation in the pit of his heart.

He looked up as the door to the burger joint opened and he waved the other man over. Walter was clad in a sharp suit, ready for a busy workday, as he sank into the booth opposite the younger man.

"I must admit, I was a bit surprised at the offered venue, Oliver," the older commented, but his eyes held its usual wicker of kindness. "Not your typical business meeting. … _'Big Belly Burger'_? The name alone inspires love."

Oliver dipped his head as he smirked and his gaze briefly fell to his own brown, leather jacket. It wasn't the first time he felt under-dressed in Walter's company, both regarding a suit and a proper title. For another second, he let his controlled mask slip as he revealed, "I… took mum here once, actually. Wanted her to see something different for a change and just… spend some time with her son. She loved the burgers."

Walter hummed, "I can imagine."

The waitress came over to take their order and as soon as she was gone, Oliver leaned his elbows against the table top.

His eyes flickered to the staff in red aprons and the other guests scattered across the tables in the mostly empty diner. He felt his shoulders relax a little as he faced his friend once more and spoke in a low voice, "… You've got the numbers from Ned Foster's sale?"

"I do, and there are good news: the VP at Deleon International managed to buy a significant amount. With her share, the three of us control 43 % of Queen Consolidated... Simon Cross managed to purchase a small part, though, and now owns 47 %."

There was a brief pause in conversation as the waiter returned with their breakfast and wished them a pleasant day before giving them their privacy once more.

While the Brit sipped from his tea, Oliver did the math in his head. He leaned back with a scowl. "… That's only 90 %."

Walter nodded and his lips fell into a tight line before he confessed, "The remaining 10 %, released on the market an hour after the main share, was purchased by someone that's remained anonymous."

Oliver resisted the impulse to roll his eyes in exasperation and instead clenched his jaw in a deep sigh. "So you're telling me we don't have a controlling interest either way, and have a possible wild card to deal with?"

Walter fixed the young man with a pointed look that held its fair share of parental unease, "No one ever said it would be easy to reclaim what you lost, Oliver. As for the fifth owner, I'm trying to track him or her down, but it might take more time. I might not know their identity before Jane gets here."

"Jane… _Deleon_?" Oliver asked and blinked as he processed the news. "She's our _ally_, as you called her?"

Walter nodded. "Yes. Jane purchased Ned's share and it will force Cross into a partnership with her over QC. She called last night to inform me she was on her way across the Atlantic. She'll be arriving in Starling City tomorrow afternoon and wants to discuss business with both of us as soon as possible."

Memories of a seemingly forgotten youth flashed before his inner eye, as Oliver distantly mused, "She was _16_ the last time I met her... and had braces. I can't believe… _VP_ _at_ _her_ _age_? She's only four years older than Thea."

"I'll let her explain her situation when she arrives. … I know you don't trust her yet, Oliver, but _please_ trust that I wouldn't do anything to endanger your future. Moira would have wanted Queen Consolidated back in your hands - yours and Thea's - and I vow to help make it so."

"I trust _you_, Walter," the young man sighed truthfully.

* * *

Oliver paused in his relentless assault on the punching bag and exhaled deeply, feeling his heart beat lower slowly but surely back to normal. He wiped some sweat off his brow as he turned to the sound of fingers tapping away like a hurricane across the keyboard.

"Anything yet?" he asked, impatience dripping from his voice.

"Keep your shirt on, Oliver-" Felicity began but paused as she turned and looked down at his tan, bare chest. "Well, figuratively speaking…"

Oliver fought to contain his grin from spreading across his features when her cobalt eyes rose to meet his and Felicity quickly spun back to her computers.

"I'm running all the different identification programs I have access to, but no ID on Nightwing or our femme fatale yet."

"_Femme_ _fatale_?" Oliver clucked as he stepped towards her workstation.

"She is _literally_ a lethal female," the blonde looked up at him over the brim of her glasses and her vibrant eyes sparkled beneath the pale lights. "_So_…"

"Works for me," he shrugged in acceptance.

"Bet it does," the woman muttered under her breath as she eyed the programs in front of her.

Oliver tilted his head to the side and suppressed his mirth. Before he could comment, a low, beeping sound stole the moment from him. The monitors alerted them to police activity and Felicity eyed the reported incident.

"I think our _femme fatale_ just dropped another body. A young man was murdered in his flat by an unknown assailant that disappeared through the window… and robbed the deceased. Sounds the same, doesn't it?"

"Can you access the police records?"

"They've _just_ found the body… Not even I'm that good. I'm starting to see a pattern, though," Felicity mused. She brought all the information she'd found so far onto her screens and leaned back. "Our _femme fatale_ seems to have a type. Rich, young, eligible men all with successful businesses... Not too shabby on the eyes either if you know what I'm saying… Which you _don't_."

Oliver let her ramblings linger in the air between them as he directed another question to her, "What's the victim's name?"

"James Vonn."

"I know that name," the dark-blond man pondered as he leaned back against the counter next to her. "I knew him fleetingly years back. He used to hang with me and Tommy during our… rough phase. Come to think about it, so did Chan occasionally."

"Seems it wasn't just a _phase_ to these guys, though," Felicity said. "I went over the security footage from Chan's flat and let me tell you, the man got more action than a slot machine in Vegas. There were at least five different women during the week I checked. All five the leggy model type and possible candidates to be our masked villain. I'm thinking she scouts ahead, to see if she's found a worthy victim. _Rich _victim."

"ID:d them yet?"

Her blonde ponytail grazed the creamy skin of her shoulder as she nodded, "Yep. Nothing suspicious about any of them, though. Not at first glance, at least, but I'm far from done."

"Good start. And Felicity…" Oliver breathed and lowered himself to her eye-level briefly. "The woman – the femme fatale – _doesn't_ work for me. Not my type."

The blonde shot him a disbelieving grin as the man pushed off the table and turned to continue his training.

* * *

"Ah, Ms Smoak! Right on time!" Quentin exclaimed as he saw the familiar blonde stepped towards his desk in the police station.

She was dressed sharply in high heels and a flowery skirt peeked out beneath her trench coat. Felicity flashed the man a wide grin as she greeted, "Hello, Detective. Are you good to go?"

The grey-haired man grimaced apologetically, "I just need to run something by a colleague. Do you mind waiting? ...It'll only be a minute."

"No rush," she assured and watched the elder policeman hurry out of the room with a folder under his arm.

A hand appeared in her line of view then and Felicity watched as someone placed a manila folder atop of Quentin's already stacked desk. Her gaze followed the dark sleeve up the rest of the standard police uniform. Her gaze landed on his face and she blinked.

The tall man had a friendly, clean-shaven face and dark eyes the color of coffee. His short hair was also brown and somewhat tousled atop his head. He was about Diggle's height and width from the looks of it, and Felicity couldn't quite pull her eyes from him. As if sensing her eyes on him, the policeman turned and met her gaze head on. Before she could stop herself, Felicity stated, "Hi."

"Hi…" the man replied with a slight grin. He held her gaze under silence for a second longer, before he seemingly remembered himself. He extended a tan hand in her direction as he cleared his throat, "I'm sorry, where are my manners, right? I'm Richard. Friends call me Dick."

The blonde accepted the offered hand and shook it firmly. "I'm Felicity. Friends call me Felicity."

The policeman exhaled in amusement, something bright flashing through his vibrant eyes, and he opened his mouth to speak.

Before he had a chance, Quentin returned to his workstation. His voice surprised the blonde who nearly jumped in her place as she turned to him, "I see you've met my newest recruit. Officer Grayson. Straight from the streets of Blüdhaven."

"Oh?" Felicity managed meekly.

"My second week in Starling," Dick nodded.

"How do you like it so far?"

"It's… got potential," the tall man breathed and his curious gaze still lingering on her features nearly made the blonde blush.

Quentin shrugged on his jacket as he nodded towards the exit. "Ready for lunch, Ms Smoak?"

The blonde inclined her head as she moved to follow the Detective out of the building.

Dick's voice pulled her back like a magnet to its counterpole, "Nice to meet you, Felicity."

Felicity glanced back over her shoulder and found her voice faster than expected, "You too, Dick."

"See you around?" the man's grin widened unabashedly.

The question quite took her by surprise. It wasn't often that a handsome man payed her attention at all, and certainly not with such open interest. Or perhaps, she reminded herself cautiously, she was over-reacting to his friendliness. Still, she couldn't quite help the flutter of butterflies in her stomach at the possibility.

"Eh, yeah… Uh-huh. _Sure_," she nodded furtively and turned on her heel to follow her lunch date out the door before she could ruin the moment by making a foolish comment.

* * *

Oliver felt his stride widen as his ears picked up two voices from inside Walter's office down the hall. The British accents mingled effortlessly and he felt his own heart be swept away by memories of carefree days without angst or effort.

He stopped in the open doorway to gaze at the two people inside: Walter, dressed as always in a suit and tie, and the young woman beside him.

The British woman wore her blonde, styled bob to her shoulders and matched it with a white dress that reached her knees and hugged her slender curves effortlessly. She wore flat shoes, but still stood quite tall and carried herself with a confident air that only came with money and guarantees. Her sea-colored eyes sparkled in the sunlight and for a second she looked just like the girl Oliver had known all those years ago, playing wild games with Thea in the gardens outside Queen Manor.

"_Jane_?" he asked as he found his voice.

The blonde turned her head towards him and her face broke into a wide grin. "_Oliver_! I haven't seen you in ages!"

He stepped inside and embraced the woman tightly before he stepped back to have a better look at her. To see how her transformation had changed her. "I can hardly believe it's you, _Killer_."

"_Ugh_…" Jane rolled her eyes but the tease of a smile lingered on her full lips as she stepped back to lean against the mahogany desk. "I can't believe you remember that nickname, Ollie. I haven't heard it since I moved from this place… what, eight years ago?"

The man shrugged innocently as he stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. "Old habits die hard."

"Yeah, well, _I'm_ feeling old right now. _Eight_ years…" the woman mock-shuddered. "How's Speedy doing?"

Oliver tried to conceal a worried flinch as he replied, "Thea's… _good_. All things considered."

Jane effortlessly read between the lines and eyed him curiously. Her clever eyes darted from one man to the other as she voiced the truth, "Meaning she's not. Is she around? I'd like to catch up with her if I could… I've missed her."

"She's not in town, actually."

"Where is she?"

"Visiting Walter's mother in England," Oliver supplied without missing a beat. "Walter thought she needed some air after everything and was kind enough to offer her a vacation away from Starling."

"He failed to tell me that…" Jane's unspoken question lingered in the office as her voice trailed off.

Walter saved the situation with more grace than the younger man had expected, "Well, it's not easy remembering everything at my age, dear. It's enough to keep track of QC and my job at Starling City Bank, to be fair."

"… Is that so?" the blonde inquired in her thick, London-accent and tilted her head to the side. She was evidently not done prodding, and her words seemed to pick at their brains as she pointed out, "Because now that I think about it, I do believe I read in some newspaper that Thea was taking a long vacation with friends in Aruba after the death of her mother."

Once more, Walter beat the other man to the punchline. "You shouldn't believe everything you read in gossip magazines, Jane."

"I suppose that's true. If gossip papers actually contributed with an ounce of truth, I'd be married to Prince Harry and separated, by now. _Twice_ _over_. Sadly, I've never even met him…" Jane shrugged as she made a slight moue. "Listen, I just came in to say hello today. I believe perhaps it's better to leave business until I've got a bit settled, yeah?"

"Sounds like a plan, Jane," the older man nodded reassuringly and patted her shoulder.

The vibrant woman, still as full of life as the hurricane girl she'd once been, glanced down at her wristwatch and grimaced, "I'm terribly sorry, but I have to run to look at a flat I'm thinking of renting." She turned her attention to Oliver and her eyes sparkled with hope as she asked, "But catch up later, no? Drinks?"

"Of course," Oliver grinned politely.

* * *

Lance eyed the young woman across from him in the burger joint. Felicity Smoak shone like the sun outside and seemed carefree and relaxed, despite the secrets he knew must weigh her down. Her night-time job had to have its strain, after all, but she carried none of it with her in daylight. During their lunch so far, they'd talked about casual things like Sara and his job. Nothing about her, though, he realized and it spurred his curiosity until it all bubbled up to the surface.

He wiped his mouth with a napkin before he leaned his elbows against the flat surface and asked, "I'm curious about _you_, Ms Smoak. I mean… how does a girl like you end up connected with a guy like… _him_?"

The blonde shrugged her lean shoulders as she leaned back in their little cubicle. She seemed surprised to be asked, but gently offered, "My hobby, I suppose."

"No, no… I meant… You could have said no, couldn't you? He would have been okay with that, right?" Quentin asked as he pushed for more details. "Besides, the Arrow doesn't strike me as a man who has partners. Not _lasting_, at least. And you're not like Sara. You didn't… join a _league_, right?"

Felicity shook her head with a slight grimace. "Only membership I've ever had was to a gym here in Starling, and I regretted it instantly. Money wasted, I tell you."

"So… why did you do it?" the grey-haired man prodded. As far as he knew, she was still more or less a blank canvas and he wanted to get to know her beyond their mutual friend. "You're obviously invaluable to him… but I don't understand. Why does a nice, young girl like you go into business like that?"

"Eh… I still have to say 'my hobby', but I think I need to explain that if you're to understand. Strictly off the record…"

"Naturally. I promise to forget every word after you're done."

Felicity cleared her throat and as she explained, her eyes fell to the checkered table cloth, "I started building computers when I was seven, started hacking into records when I was in high school, started counting cards at the casinos at the age of seventeen, fake ID included. I suppose… working with the Arrow is a step up from my past. I've never been much for 100 % legal activities."

Quentin blinked. "… _Wow_! I wouldn't have guessed."

"Not a lot of people do…" the young woman smiled. "My family didn't have a lot growing up in Vegas. And I felt more connected to the computers than my mother, you know."

"What about your dad?"

"… Don't really remember him. He left when I was a kid," she swallowed and suddenly took an interest in her leftover fries. "And it's not… What I did back then, it wasn't the _bad _kind of illegal. I wasn't a criminal. Not really. I counted cards to earn just enough money to pay for college, so that I could get away from Las Vegas… Build a new life for myself. I never imagined it would become like _this_, though, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

Lance felt the corners of his lips turn up in a genuine smile. There was something about this one that just awoke his parental instincts, and he couldn't deny it. "You're quite an extraordinary character, aren't you, Ms Smoak?"

"I've been told I'm remarkable," Felicity blushed crimson as she stuttered, "Not that _I_ think I'm-… I didn't mean to come off like that."

"Well, whoever said it sounds like a smart person. Now, I'm sorry, but I have to get back to work. Have a precinct to run, you know," he spoke warmly and the two got out of their seats to head out. They walked out of the burger joint side by side in relaxed silence. When they reached the sunlit streets, Quentin casually withdrew a business card from his pocket and held it for the woman. "Here."

"What's that?" Felicity asked as she accepted the small piece of paper and eyed it curiously.

"Officer Grayson's number. Thought I didn't notice earlier, huh? I'm a father of two beautiful girls who've always been popular with the guys. Trust me, I have a special radar for those things," Quentin winked and then shrugged innocently enough. "At least that guy's normal, you know compared to the other odd-jobs you spend time with off-hours. You could deserve some normalcy after everything you've sacrificed for this city and for _him_."

An impish smile brightened her features briefly as she put the card in her purse. "… Thank you."

"Take care, Ms Smoak. And I mean that."

"You too, Detective."

"That's 'Quentin' or 'Mr Lance' to you, do you hear?"

The woman ducked her head and her voice was smaller as she asked of him in return, "Then it's 'Felicity'."

"Fair enough," the man inclined his head. "And hey, don't be a stranger. I'll always be here if you need someone to talk to or want someone to join you for burgers. My girls say I'm quite a good listener. Or so I hear."

She chuckled and he was glad to see her nod in affirmation. "I won't be a stranger. I promise."

"Good girl."

* * *

As Oliver entered the crowded bar later that night, his eyes flew across the large amount of people cautiously. It had been a long time since he entered any room without checking the perimeter first. The instinct came especially in handy during his night-time profession. It had saved him from losing his head more than once in the past.

"Ollie!" he heard a bright voice from his right echo above the loud chatter and music.

He turned and saw Jane by a table up on the platform where the music wasn't as loud. He smiled as he made his way past a couple of tables and sank into the seat opposite her.

"I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of ordering you a drink," the blonde spoke and nodded down at the untouched glass of whiskey on the steel table before him.

"Thank you," Oliver smiled and took a sip from it. The smokey liquid went down his throat, leaving a raw but welcomed aftertaste, and he eyed his company. "You know… I still can't believe you're back."

"You and me both!" Jane grinned as she drank from her own glass. "I've missed this place. And the people."

"So…" Oliver drawled. He was astutely aware of the fact that Jane had been Thea's best friend all those years ago. He'd known her, but they'd never been close friends per se. The age gap and different interests at that time in their lives hadn't exactly brought them together. It didn't instill him with either trust or easy friendship now that he knew she'd be a partner in crime regarding QC. Walter had told him to trust her, but he wasn't ready for that step yet. He needed more answers before even being willing to consider the option. "… How've you been?"

She raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "In the past eight years, you mean? It was nice moving back home to England… though it happened so sudden."

"It did, didn't it?" the man hummed. "I don't remember why, though."

"It was a long time ago… Who does?" she mused but something dark flashed through her eyes for a second. "I was sorry to hear about your loss. I always liked Moira… though she could be intimidating as hell at times."

"That she could be," the man smiled tensely. "Same could be said about your father, though."

"… Didn't you hear the news?" Jane questioned and her body language was suddenly stiff and uncomfortable. "He died a few months back. Cancer."

"I… No. I hadn't heard. _I'm sorry_."

She pursed her lips in response as she seamlessly changed the topic away from one that seemed to haunt her, "Walter kept me informed about your family over the years, you know. He knew how much I missed you. This idea… that I can help you with QC… it's all _his_ idea. When I inherited my father's share in DI, he saw an opportunity and decided not to waste it."

Oliver side-stepped her advance and asked, "So… you're VP?"

"Well, now I practically own half of QC," she offered with a widening smile. "My commitments to DI will have to wait …But you're concerned I'm too young to help you win QC back."

"No," Oliver lied.

Without missing a beat, the Brit argued, "Thea ran Verdant when she was 19."

"Verdant wasn't a Fortune 500-Company."

"Neither is QC at the moment. Haven't you seen the statistics? It lost that status in the past six months due to bad investments," she retorted, easily slipping into a defensive mode that left no room for questioning. "Listen, I'm only five years younger than you were when you became CEO of Queen Consolidated. So not _that_ young to hold a title."

"… Fair enough," he backed down.

"All of this... it's only for awhile, anyway. Only until you're back on your feet and can take over," Jane's eyes burned with a passion as she leaned closer. "I _promise_… I have no intention of lingering in Starling. QC is _yours_, Ollie. Or soon will be again. Anyway, I'm _not_ CEO of QC."

Oliver was grateful as she led them back to the topic of business. "When are you meeting with the board?"

"I have a short introduction tomorrow morning. The important meeting's in a week though. It will be a game changer, but not necessarily in our favor yet."

"You're the second most influential partner of QC," the man frowned at her pessimistic approach. "You and Simon Cross have the final word of business."

"I need an appropriate title to match that influence if we're to move forward. As long as Simon Cross is only _acting_ CEO, I could still win the title from him. But I can't make any guarantees that the board will be swayed one way or the other. It's too early to tell…" she told him in all earnest. "I need to play the game, Oliver. And more than that, I need you to trust that I know what I'm doing. Can you…?"

Oliver steadily held her gaze as he processed her words and tried to see past her guarded emotions. Before he could comment, a lean figure had suddenly appeared from the crowds and hovered beside their table.

"Excuse me, Mr Queen?"

The man pulled his gaze away from his company to the woman who had spoken. The stranger was lean and her tanned skin matched the silver, sequined dress almost to perfection. She had an angular face and it was framed by long, curly hair that gave her features an edge. She eyed him like a predator hungry for a meal and he tacitly shifted in his seat. Another model that believed he was still the same playboy he'd been seven years ago.

"… Yes?"

He couldn't quite place her South-American accent as she asked, "Would you like a dance?"

"I'm in the middle of catching up with an old friend," he turned her down and pointed his half-empty glass at the blonde beside him.

"Well, how about later?" the model cooed and leaned down close all the while offering a good glimpse of her cleavage. Oliver kept his gaze on a fixed point up in the ceiling as she discreetly pushed a card into his chest pocket and whispered, "My name's Honey, and I'm staying at the Plaza… Room 312. If you want to _dance _later. Or you could just find me… I'll be here another hour or two."

"_M-hm_…" he hummed forcefully with a short nod and watched as the brunette beauty disappeared into the crowds like a fish in a vast ocean.

Jane smirked into the brim of her whiskey glass as she mirthfully asked, "… Are women always throwing themselves at you like that?"

"Eh… Not like that, no," Oliver clarified as he took a swig from his own drink. Trying to match her amusement, he commented, "Not always, anyway."

"Oh, just _sometimes_?"

"Sometimes, yes."

"… _Tough_," she said in a deadpan voice. Her eyes flew across the room and settled on something as she quietly exclaimed, "Oh, and look! Here comes another one…"

Oliver turned and stiffened as he saw the woman approaching them this time. Dressed in a pale suit and bright blouse, Laurel Lance cut a striking figure as she walked towards them.

"Excuse me, Jane," Oliver exhaled as he pulled back his seat and rose in a fluid motion.

"Of course," the blonde drawled with just a tad too much delight for the man's taste. "You're a _busy_ man."

He squinted down at her briefly before turning to meet Laurel half-way. He put a gentle hand on her elbow and guided them over to a quiet corner of the bar. "What are you doing here?"

The eldest Lance girl held her chin high as she proclaimed, "I came to see you, Ollie."

Oliver grimaced. "How did you know where I was?"

"I called Felicity," the brunette shrugged. "We need to talk, and you know that. You've been avoiding me and I won't have it anymore."

He inhaled sharply. He recognized the conviction in her eyes and knew she was on the warpath. This was something he couldn't flee from anymore. "… We _will_ talk. But not now, Laurel."

She smiled. "Tomorrow at eight. Your place."

Oliver inclined his head once. "I'll be at home."

* * *

"Felicity still not back from A.R.G.U.S?" Oliver breathed as he jogged down the stairs to the foundry at the crack of dawn. Apart from apprehending a few robbers, it had been a quiet night on the streets. He discarded his bow in its case and pulled back his hood as he stepped over to the others.

Roy's frustrated and exasperated expression said it all as he turned in the ergonomically designed computer chair to glance back at the returning hero.

"I'm too afraid to touch anything," the younger man admitted with wide, unblinking eyes and waved a hand in the direction of the monitors. "Felicity threatened me with bodily harm if I screwed up her equipment. She doesn't strike me as a violent person… but something tells me she meant that."

"She does. Remember what happened to the Clock King," Diggle quipped in a bantering voice as he stepped away from the exercise mat to join the other men. "Anything?"

Oliver shook his head. "She hasn't killed in a couple of nights. She's already had three victims in Starling this week. She's quick and keeps eluding me. She always slips from my grasp just as I'm about to catch her."

"Hey," the guys turned as Felicity stepped down into the foundry and smiled at them.

"Anything from Amanda?" Oliver questioned as he watched her remove her jacket and hang it aside.

"Does anyone else still get goose bumps when she refers to you as an 'agent'? No? Just me?" the woman asked and when no one replied, she cleared her throat and offered an answer to the first question, "I have good news, for once. Not that Amanda cracked a smile or anything, so you wouldn't know it was actually _good_ news. Check this out."

She sat down in her chair as Roy vacated it and brought up a file on the wide screen on the wall beside her station. The men turned to look at the high-tech screen as she clarified, "Out of the five women caught on tape that visited Chan's apartment, one of them fit a villain A.R.G.U.S has been after for a while. Actually, she's a rogue agent."

"_A.R.G.U.S_ agent?" Roy questioned.

"Special ops. She went _a little_ crazy after her husband - another agent - died on a mission overseas. No one knows exactly what happened, but she changed career path after she returned home. She now goes under the alter ego _Cupid_. Real name Carrie Montoya. She seems consistent in her technique. She seduces her victims – a ruse to get an overview of the security in her victim's flats - and then kills them to clean them of all their money. She's been claiming the lives of rich, young men from Canada to Chile this past year. She keeps changing her appearance to make it more difficult to apprehend her."

She pressed another key and several different photos of the same woman appeared on the screen. The striking face with the strong cheekbones was always the same, but the rest varied greatly. Blonde hair, curly hair, different colored eyes and even a fake nose every now and again. Oliver clenched his fist beside his thigh as he recognized the face.

"I've seen that woman before," he said and felt three pairs of eyes turn to him in a flash. "Tonight. She made a pass at me in the bar."

"Not your type, huh?" Felicity teased.

"Hang on," Roy interrupted and his gaze flew between the members of his team. "Is she setting her sights on you then?"

"That could explain why she hasn't killed in a few days," Diggle agreed with a worried frown. "You're her next victim."

"She only goes after _wealthy_ men," the vigilante exhaled tiredly. "I don't check that box anymore, remember? I'm _not_ her target."

"We can't be sure of that, Oliver," Diggle disagreed.

"We _can_," the man argued stubbornly.

"She's already shown interest in you, which counts for something," the older man said sternly. John crossed his arms over his chest and stepped in front of his friend. "What else happened at that bar tonight?"

"Nothing."

Felicity didn't look up from her computers as she quipped, "Meaning _something_."

"_No_…" Oliver closed his eyes. He knew his team just as well as they knew him; this wasn't something they would just let go. He admitted, "But Laurel stopped by unannounced."

"_Wait_… _This_ crazy chick, the new owner of QC _and_ Laurel? Oliver Queen's immaculate threesome..." Roy huffed in wonder. "That's a lot… even by your outdated standards, man."

"Good thing he's the Poster Boy for self-restraint," Felicity muttered as she shrugged her eyebrows at the man in question.

Oliver kept his features impassive as he refrained from commenting on the snide remarks that lingered in the tense air around him. He watched as the blonde lowered her gaze and he exhaled slowly. He ignored the slight sting in his heart and looked away. That wasn't a place he would allow himself to go, especially not tonight.

"What happened next?" Diggle prodded in a soft tone.

The Arrow turned back to his friend. "Jane was jet-lagged and headed back to her hotel before ten. I didn't see our villain again. I came here. _Alone_."

"And Laurel? What did she want?"

"To talk. I promised to meet her tomorrow night."

"…A _date_, is it?" Roy teased like a younger brother.

"No," Oliver shook his head adamantly and glowered at the shorter man. "It's not a date… It's _not_."

"Well…" Felicity's grin was aloof and unreadable as she turned back to him ."Have fun on your _non-date_ with Laurel. But be mindful of flirtatious villains, will you?"

"Felicity's right," John remarked as he backed her up. "Maybe we ought to put extra security on you for a few days?"

"Not going to happen, Dig," Oliver refused and knew his voice left little room for debate. "I'll be fine."

* * *

Oliver opened the door and smiled down at Laurel. "Hey. Come on in."

The woman returned the grin as she stepped into his hallway. She'd been in his little flat a handful of times since he'd moved in, but she quite thought the place fit the man perfectly. It was no Queen Manor exactly, but still had its own personality. She knew he was short on cash, and so the interior design was simple and basic.

She followed him into the living room and her eyes traveled across the space, acquainting themselves with the surroundings. The small living room served as a dining room as well, though she knew he didn't cook home often and the table was rarely used for eating around. An olivine-colored sofa took up most of the room and a smaller television completed the lie of a normal, bachelor life. Here and there he had decorated with personal objects she'd seen in Queen Manor, and her gaze lingered on the boat model he kept in a glass case beside the television.

The handsome man sank onto the couch cushions now and turned his expectant eyes up to her.

Laurel felt her heart skip a beat at the unspoken question. She didn't want to waste his time and simply dove straight in. "You know what I want."

"Laurel..." the man sighed and rose from his seat as she made no inclination of joining him.

"I want in, Ollie," she argued with a passion as he came to stand before her.

"You're practically an honorary member," he assured and reached up to squeeze her arm, "isn't that enough?"

"_No_... No, it's not enough!"

He lowered his hand and stepped back. As he put some space between them, he calmly uttered, "I'm sorry, but it's all I can offer you."

Laurel shook her head, refusing to be down-played and parked in the corner once more. She hated being left on the sidelines when she'd finally been given a glimpse of what life could entail for her, a world Oliver and Sara had opened her eyes to. "I can fight, Ollie. You know I've had self-defense lessons since I was a kid. I can protect myself. Maybe it doesn't count for much in the real world, but you can teach me how to fight. To _save_ people. We could be _partners_."

"We _are_ business partners; I catch the bad guys and you put them behind bars. Right now I need you on the inside at the DA's office," the man spoke quietly.

She saw the silent plea in his vibrant gaze and knew he still kept her at arm's length. Close, but not close enough to touch. He couldn't see that his need of keeping her safe matched her need to make a difference. His opinion wasn't about to change. Tonight was meant to be another brief defeat. "… _Fine_."

"Thank you," he breathed honestly and turned from her.

"Hey, Ollie..." she asked as her gaze landed on his firm back and she tried to keep her voice indifferent and upbeat. She had a feeling she wouldn't fool either of them, but a small part of her had to know the truth, "That girl you were out with yesterday… who was that?"

Oliver sighed. He recognized that voice and could hear the jealous undercurrent despite her efforts. Slowly, he turned back around and held her gaze as he stated, "Laurel… I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just... _can't_."

"No, Ollie. You _won't_. It's different," the woman argued and lowered her voice as she stepped after him. "Ollie… We've been through a lot together. Dark times, and light… And we're still here. Side by side. I think that counts for something. _Means _something. We… had it once. We could still have it."

"Laurel…," he breathed and shook his head slowly. He didn't have any words to describe what he felt and left it at that. He knew the truth whirled in his eyes, but wasn't entirely certain she read it clearly.

She swallowed. "In fact, I don't think we ever lost it, Oliver… And I think you feel that, too."

"I can't be with you."

"Why not?"

Oliver shrugged and felt the tension invade his muscles as he backed away from her. There was too much that couldn't be voiced between them, too much emotions left unexplored for anything to make sense right now. "I _won't_ endanger the people I love."

"So you'll just be mopey and loveless for the rest of your life?" she snorted coldly.

"If it's necessary to keep the people around me alive, then _yes_," he retorted without missing a beat.

Laurel shook her head as she disagreed with the logic, "That's stupid, Ollie. And it overlooks the fact that people make their own choices. Your friends are loyal to you because they care about you. They know they are in danger because of it, but that doesn't stop them. And I know they save you, too, just as you save them. There's a damn good reason the Arrow doesn't work alone."

Oliver set his jaw. "I know the importance of _love_… But that's different from what you're asking of me."

"No, it isn't," Laurel contended.

As she took another step to shorten the distance between them, something small came flying towards her through the air. The small dart pierced her neck and Laurel slumped to the ground behind the sofa. Oliver flew forward to her side as his gaze flew up to the window. He caught the sight out a shadow climbing upwards and threw himself into action. He kicked in the next gear as he launched himself onto the fire escape outside and climbed onto the roof.

As he set his feet on the concrete rooftop, he saw Cupid's slender frame running across the wide, open space further away. He whipped his arm in her direction and shot a small, flechette arrow at her, which had been attached inside his left sleeve.

The flechette revealed a wire as it ensnared around her calves and Oliver watched as the masked villain fell to the ground with a pained moan.

"_What did you do to her?!_" he growled as he ran over to her and roughly pulled her up into a seated position.

"Relax, sexy," the woman cooed teasingly even as her winning hand slipped away from her. She tugged out of his grasp and untangled her limbs from the wire before she rose to meet his gaze. Her emerald eyes stood in stark contrast to her dark mask. "Your girlfriend's only sedated… Anyway, she's not my usual type. I have no interest in her."

Oliver took a forceful step towards her and refused to back down from the challenge. "You're here for me."

"That better not be surprise in your voice. I'd be _so_ disappointed if it was…" she played with him and ran a tender palm down the side of his face.

"I know who you are, Carrie," the man hissed as he pulled away from her touch.

She cocked her head to the side and whispered in a velvety voice, "And I know who you are… _Arrow_."

"What do you want with me?"

"With you or in general?" the woman cooed curiously. "In general, I want what any scorned woman deserve: _Justification_. Too long have men ruled over women, I'm only aiming to level the play field with the same means that your sex use: Seduction and power. The money I take from my victims make it worthwhile, too. What do I want with you, though? Well... that remains to be seen...," Cupid blinked up at the man with wide, transfixed eyes that seemed to devour his soul.

Without warning, she lashed out an arm to slash at his face, but Oliver was prepared. He pushed it away as he approached her for hand-to-hand combat. She was agile like an acrobat as she fought back, easily ducking most of his blows but without inflicting much harm on her opponent either. She got in a good kick to his chest, but Oliver recovered quickly.

As she directed another low punch at him, he saw his chance. He swiftly grabbed hold of her arm and pressed it up against her back. She grunted in pain as he twisted it further. "No man has ever bested me before tonight…"

"Get used to disappointment," Oliver growled and tightened his grip. "Where you're going, there'll be more than enough to go around."

"_Prison_?" the woman chortled madly. "I think not."

With surprising strength, she tugged lose. She withdrew something from the purse attached to her belt and threw it hard against the ground. A bright flash blinded him and he had to cover his eyes from the light. When he opened them once more, he found himself standing alone atop the roof, with no trace of his enemy to be found.

* * *

"Waller seems to believe Carrie skipped town," Diggle announced as he joined Oliver and Felicity in the foundry not thirty minutes later. "Apparently that's what she does, changes scenery when the cops get too close. I think we've seen the last of our Cupid."

"… I don't know about that," Oliver shrugged his eyebrows as he crossed his arms over his wide chest and leaned back against the steel table. He'd seen the intrigue in Cupid's eyes shortly before she'd escaped. He was a challenge to her, a challenge she wanted to conquer and her eyes had betrayed her sentiment. Still, he wasn't sure sharing that with his team was the best course of action tonight.

"How's Laurel?" the blonde asked in a soft voice, pulling him out of his dark thoughts.

"Awake. A bit drowsy, but she's safe and sound in her flat," he answered. Oliver pushed away from the table as he stepped towards the glass case containing his outfit and let the events of the night fall from mind. "How about I suit up and we get to work early tonight?"

"Actually…" Felicity hesitated on the precipice and her bright voice filled their lair. "Could I have the night off?"

"I-what?" Oliver blinked down at the woman by his side. Apart from her vigilance by Barry's comatose bedside almost a year ago, he'd never heard her utter the words.

"Night. Off. I kind of, sort of… have a date. I know what it sounds like and it's _not_!" she babbled seemingly unstoppable. "It's not that I don't… I just… I just need something that's not unthinkable… _right now_… you know?"

"Felicity…" Oliver smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder and let it rest there for a few seconds. "You deserve the very best. _Go_. Have fun. I think Dig and I can manage one night without you."

"Thanks!" she positively beamed up at him as she picked up her purse and jacket from her chair and headed for the stairs. "See you first thing tomorrow!"

The trace of her voice seemed to linger in her wake as the foundry fell into silence without her presence.

"So…" Diggle began and eyed his friend cautiously. "... you still haven't discussed _'It'_."

Oliver closed his eyes and shook his head firmly. "There's nothing to discuss, Dig."

The elder man nodded his head slowly, though disbelief shone with the strength of the sun in his dark eyes. "You're still not a very good liar, man."

He patted the younger man's shoulder once before he headed for the backroom to get changed for training. Oliver quietly watched his friend disappear down the hallway and released a heavy breath as soon as he was left alone in the main area.

* * *

The private jet landed on the small airfield just outside of Starling City when the moon was at its peak on its heavenly throne. The small plane slowly came to a halt beside the parked limousine that had been awaiting its arrival. After another few minutes, the plane engines shut down and the night settled back into its constant drum of existence.

As the heavy door opened and the ladder was lowered, a man stepped out from the inside of the steel beast. He carried himself with trained sophistication as a gentle breeze welcomed him to the city. The dark-haired man buttoned his black suit as he looked about and steadily descended the steps until his feet met the cold asphalt. He breathed in the familiar scents and sighed contently. He was home again.

"I don't know how you convinced me to return here," a young woman's voice filled the air from above. The tone dripped with heavy sarcasm and displeased fatigue, though paradoxically seemed entirely void of emotion at the same time.

Malcolm turned back as he watched his daughter descend the steps and join his side.

Thea wore a navy-blue suit and her curly hair loose around her slim shoulders as she exhaled indifferently. Her eyes remained impassive as she looked about, but Malcolm could see a slight glow ignite in the bottom of her soul.

"Doesn't matter how, honey," the man assured as he opened the backdoor to the limousine and held it open for her. "We're here to stay."

* * *

**Episode 3 to come "soon"!**


	3. Jailbird

_Synopsis: When Helena Bertinelli (Huntress) breaks out of prison, she has a new target in mind. While Oliver searches for a way to apprehend Helena without anyone getting killed, Helena finds an unexpected ally to help her cause. _

_A/N; I'm afraid this came out a bit OOC here and there for one character in this piece. I tried, though, and will explain my reasoning behind this in the next chapter, so bear with me. I will warn readers now, however, that if you do not like Laurel - you might not like this chapter either. In fact, I wager those hate-colored glasses will contort this. So go ahead and skip this chapter if that's the case. _

_Here's to hoping you enjoy this chapter!_

_**Edit**: This chapter has been edited due to dissatisfactory results._

* * *

**3x03: Jailbird**

"Hey, Felicity!"

"Dig!" the blonde woman glanced back over her shoulder to see her friend calmly jogging down the steps to the foundry. It took her quite by surprise since it was in the middle of the afternoon and she'd been positive to have their home away from home to herself for another couple of hours. It didn't exactly lessen her confusion to see John present today of all days. "…I thought you and Lyla would have hit the road by now. Anything wrong?"

Clad in casual jeans, a black tee and his usual leather jacket, the man looked the epitome of 'at ease' as he walked towards her seated frame. "Nah, just came to say goodbye before we go."

"… Hormones?"

Diggle exhaled and inclined his head slowly. "Just needed a short breather before I go on a six hour car ride with her. I love the woman to death... but I just needed a little break, you know?"

"I'm glad you did, because I have something for you," Felicity declared and turned towards her purse that lay discarded by her chair. She dug through its contents and whipped out a small tube that she handed over to her friend with a casual shrug. "Well, for Lyla."

"What is it?" Dig eyed the item cautiously.

"A special antacid solution to help with her heartburn. I… did a quick search on it," she smoothed an invisible wrinkle in her short, floral dress and ducked her eyes briefly. She didn't want him to see the truth written in her eyes of hours spent looking for a way to help her friends. John had told her about his ex-wife's problems a few days earlier, but also assured her it wasn't too bad. Still, Felicity's concern for those she loved had spurned her to take action. Remembering the search result, her gaze flew up to him once more as she asked, "Hey, Dig? Have you considered raising the head of your bed by roughly 6 inches?"

John smiled down at his young friend and his dark eyes shone with brotherly affection. "Thank you, Felicity. I'm sure she'll be very grateful."

The blonde let her mask slip, knowing he'd already seen through it, and smiled sheepishly up at him. "… How you doing with everything?"

"I got to admit…" the big man started as he leaned back against her steel desk. His eyes clouded over with thought momentarily as he voiced what hid within his heart, "It gets more daunting the closer you get to due date. I thought it'd be easier by now, but…"

"It's a _huge_ change, John…" the woman spoke in a softer voice that still carried strong with conviction. "I'm kind of glad you're nervous. Means you're excited and want to do it right. Trust me; _wanting_ to do right is half a win already."

Diggle sighed and some of his tension seemed to evaporate into thin air as he snorted good-humoredly, "Since when are you so good at mentoring, Felicity?"

The blonde beamed up at the man. "Since I met you."

He merely chuckled in response before he turned the table back on her. He wanted to give her a gentle reminder that it was still a two-way street: that her concern for his growing family was evenly matched by his concern for her heart. "What about you and _your man_?"

Her smile fell momentarily to reveal her own cracks as she admitted, "Dick is genuinely sweet and caring… very funny. Doesn't babble, but I do that enough for the both of us. But, I don't know… he's so _normal_."

"_How dare he?_" John raised his eyebrows in jest.

The blonde grimaced a smile at his feeble joke. "… I have to lie to him every day, Dig… I don't know if I want to do that. I think I could like this guy too much to want to lie to him, you know?"

"Felicity…" the man placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and the weight and warmth did help fractionally. "He seems good to you and you seem happy. Maybe you shouldn't give up on this guy that easily, okay? There might be a golden mean for you two." He glanced down at his wristwatch and pushed off the table with a huff. "Now, I'd better run… See you in a week!"

The blonde nodded distantly, still processing his advice, as he walked up the stairs. "...Have fun with A.J and Carly! Good luck settling them in on the coast!"

* * *

Oliver shuffled in his seat as his fingers fiddled with the handle of the ceramic cup before him.

It had been a couple of weeks since he'd stopped Cupid on his rooftop, a couple of weeks since Laurel fiercely had pushed for her cause. The two of them hadn't properly spoken since then, both getting immersed by work on their separate fronts. He knew the questions still plagued her mind, however, as they still plagued him.

He wanted her safe. In fact, it was what he had always wanted for her. She'd crossed a line in the sand when she'd asked to join his team as the next Canary, and another when she'd asked to resume the relationship they'd once had.

How could he ever say yes to either of her requests? Both meant putting her at great risk. He couldn't let her balance both her life and heart on the thin edge of a blade. His team was already balancing dangerously close to a bottomless precipice and he couldn't add to that precarious situation with another possible victim. Too much was at stake, and he had too little to offer her in return.

Oliver pulled himself back to reality as he saw the door to the coffee house open and the attorney in question stepped inside. She wore a knee-length, navy-blue dress and matching jacket that added layers to her professional gleam. With firm strides, Laurel Lance stepped over to him and smiled tightly down at him. He tried to match the expression with a warmer grin.

"Sorry I'm late," she breathed and sank into the seat opposite him.

Oliver pushed the second coffee cup towards her as he properly took in her appearance. She had dark circles under her eyes and carried herself almost wearily. "You okay?"

She waved off his concern easily, "Just swamped at work. You know about Flynn Bauer, don't you?"

He nodded slowly. "The suspected new mob boss in Starling? The one trying to take over the void after the Bertinelli family?"

Laurel inclined her head sharply and ran a tired hand through her long, curling hair. "I've been trying to stop him since my first week back in the DA's office, but there's not much of a case. Or rather, I have a lot of evidence, but very little I can use."

"He's good with not leaving a trail," Oliver mused with a bitter edge. "Sorry the Arrow hasn't been able to help you."

"I'm not sure it would matter," the woman huffed as she sipped greedily from the coffee offered to her. "He seems to have a couple of judges wrapped around his little finger. I've tried going to court with what I have, but the evidence is always invalidated faster than I can counteract. It's frustrating to no end... And now my new boss is expecting results but my hands are tied."

"Let me know if I can do anything to help," the man said in a low voice. He knew the words rang empty without result, but still he had to offer up whatever he could.

"You're already doing what you can out there," Laurel countered, her own voice low enough to match his tone. "Just keep doing what you do, Ollie. Never stop. I'll find a way to catch Bauer, one way or another."

As silence descended like a dark cloud over their little company, Oliver felt the tension slowly creep into the seams of his clothes along with it. He could tell she was also astutely aware of the standstill they found themselves trapped in and that no other topic aside from work was safe ground at the moment.

"Thank you for coffee, Ollie," the beauty said suddenly and rose from her chair with grace that stood in stark contrast to the false promise and weariness of her tone. "I have to get back to work. I have a long evening ahead of me yet, I'm afraid."

"… Do you…" he cleared his throat as he searched for a way to make what he had to say less harsh and accusing. He tried to add an air of innocence as he asked, "Are you going to an AA-meeting tonight?"

Laurel blinked. Oliver cringed internally at the hurt look that flashed past in her vibrant eyes. Perhaps it hadn't been the most tactful approach, after all.

"I went to a meeting at lunch," she said and frost touched the tip of her voice. She squared her shoulders and exhaled slowly to calm herself. "I know what you're really asking, Ollie… and I'm offended you think I'll break that easily."

"I wasn't implying-"

"_Yes, you were_," she countered and to this he had no retaliation. It was the truth, and she deserved more than his lies at the moment. "Someone once told me not all fights would be easy. I've _never_ thought I could persuade you to let me join your team over night. But that doesn't mean I'll give up trying. I think this is worth fighting for, Ollie. One day I hope you see it my way."

Without another word, she turned and the man listened as her heels clicked steadily against the floor until she was out the door. He sighed and closed his eyes against the onslaught of thoughts.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Oliver made his way into the lair as had been his nightly routine for over two years now.

"Any news, Felicity?" he called out as he heard her fingers play across the keyboard like fingers on an instrument.

He entered the main area and glanced to the left where Roy was busy aiming his red bow at a bull's eye by the training mats. The younger man nodded in greeting but soon returned his focus to the target. The arrow split the air and pierced the target, barely missing the bull's eye. Roy huffed in annoyance.

"There is, actually," Felicity spoke up as Oliver walked over to her workstation. She flashed him a bright smile as she explained, "I think Nightwing is back in town. As you know, I expanded my search for him and found mentions of a man matching his description fighting crime in cities close by. I think he's returned to Starling, however, and dropped a body late last night when you and Roy were patrolling the other edge of town."

"The dead cop?" Roy asked as he stepped away from the practice mats to join their conversation. Interest filled his voice as he looked down at the woman. "I read the papers about that this morning. I'm not sure how killing cops counts as fighting crime, though?"

"Neither did I but I talked to Detective Lance earlier today," Felicity told her partners excitedly. "It seems evidence was found with the body that suggests the dead cop was also a corrupt cop with connections to the mafia. The police are keeping a lid on that until they've investigated it closer."

"Good work, Felicity," Oliver nodded.

"Out of curiosity…" the younger man began cautiously. "If we do find him out there, what are we supposed to do? Buy him a coffee and sit down for a vigilante heart-to-heart or drive him out of the city because of his lethal methods?"

"I have no quarrel with him, Roy," the other man assured stiffly. "I would like a word with him, though, to learn his intentions. I guess we'll have to see what happens next..."

A frantic alarm suddenly started beeping from Felicity's monitors and both men turned as she uttered a low, "Uh-oh!"

The alarm died down, but the blonde's fingers flew across the keyboard with something akin to panicked frenzy. Her voice rose an octave as she said, "The entire computer system at Iron Heights Prison just shut down! Their power's off! What the…? And the back-up generator appears to be fried."

"The prisoners?" Oliver growled as he leaned over the table beside her to watch the information flashing by on the screens.

"I don't know, I can't access anything without power," Felicity muttered low. "It seems to be tampered with and judging by the source of this… The main target was the power to the prison cells. I think we're about to have another jailbreak mayhem on our hands!"

Oliver immediately jumped into action. "Roy and I'll go down there, see if we can keep the prisoners where they belong. Can you get their system up and running from the foundry?"

The woman's wide eyes followed him as he hurried over to retrieve his costume. "I'll _try_."

"I have faith in you, Felicity," the man managed briefly before he rushed with Roy to the changing rooms.

Felicity watched their retreating forms with an incredulous look, before turning back to her screens. "That makes one of us right now…"

* * *

Felicity had been right. When the vigilantes arrived at the prison, it was to hear sirens blaring and frantic orders being issued from every corner of the formerly secure position. The police arrived almost at the same time as the vigilantes to block perimeter escape. Oliver and Roy watched the police cars from their vantage point above before they snuck in through a door on the roof.

They descended further inside the darkened prison and soon came to understand that all technologically controlled areas were opened and prisoners had scrambled to get free from almost every section, tasting the freedom offered to them so suddenly. The vigilantes fought alongside a few surprised guards that remained to contain the orange-clad prisoners attempting to flee.

Roy's fist connected with a prisoner's rounded jaw and the big, tattooed man stumbled backwards a few feet before he fell unconscious to the floor in his cell once more.

"Nice work," Oliver breathed from his right.

Unaccustomed to verbal appraisal from his mentor, the younger man was taken aback for a second, "…Thanks!"

The lamps above suddenly blinked a couple of times before everything came back on line. The whole room bathed in the bright glow from the overhead lights and the prison seemed up and running as usual again. As the guards reclaimed their turf and control, Oliver and Roy slipped back into the shadows and up the way they had entered.

Oliver spoke into his headset, "Good work, Felicity."

"Wasn't me," came her speedy reply. "The power came back exactly seven minutes after everything shut down. And I mean _exactly_."

"Too exact to be a coincidence?" Roy breathed as he ran after the green-clad man up on the rooftop.

Felicity explained, "This has to be an outside job. Whoever did this didn't leave any 'digital fingerprint'… I can't track them."

Oliver sighed at the supposed dead-end as he and Roy swung themselves off the roof. He found his footing on the ground next to his motorcycle and hurriedly asked, "How many prisoners are still unaccounted for, Felicity?"

"Ehm… Five seem to have gotten past the police line, but the numbers keep changing. We'll know more soon."

"Try and give us directions, will you?" the elder man asked as he started his vehicle and heard Roy do the same beside him. "We'll go after them and hopefully stop them before they get too far."

"_Wait_, guys!" Felicity breathed and the men exchanged a weary look. "Someone _forcefully_ reclaimed their personal belongings from the jail a few minutes ago."

Queen frowned and felt a bad sensation in the pit of his stomach. "Whose belongings?"

The disbelieving reply came swift like a bullet, "_You've got to be kidding me_!"

* * *

It was well after ten in the evening when Laurel slipped her key into the lock and stepped inside her flat. It had been a long day in the office, and her body ached with fatigue. Her brain felt like a puddle of incoherent mumbling as she discarded her shoes and purse in a pile in the hallway. With a yawn she walked bare-feet further into her home.

She felt some of her tension leave her lean shoulders as she exhaled slowly, but far from everything escaped her frame. It seemed no matter how hard she tried, Bauer slipped through her fingers like a nasty street rat. He knew every short cut and every slippery slope to salvation, it seemed.

Laurel started to go over the case in her mind before she forced herself to stop. She was at home now and needed to let her work go for the night. There was nothing more to do right now anyway and she cleared her head from all her bothers.

She walked over to her fridge and pulled out a bottle of water which she drank from slowly. The rhythmic gulps of water helped empty her brain, one sip at a time.

"Hello, Laurel…"

The woman yelped and the bottle slipped from her grasp as she shut the refrigerator door in a flash. She turned in the direction of the unexpected voice and held her breath as she saw the figure that appeared from the lurking shadows of her living room.

Clad in her usual black and purple costume, with her long, brown hair flowing freely around her slim shoulders, Helena Bertinelli stepped into the light. A faint smile twisted her beautiful features into that of a monster.

"… _Helena_," Laurel breathed as she found her voice and managed to suppress the panic that threatened to escape. "What are you doing here?"

The brunette cocked her head to the side and playfully cooed, "I need your help."

* * *

Malcolm Merlyn stood vigilance in the living room of his luxurious penthouse - rented under a different name to offer some much needed anonymity - as he looked out at the night-sky and city silhouette outside the panorama windows. His mind was close to void as he simply waited on the edge.

Before long, he felt his phone vibrate where it rested in the palm of his hand and he looked down at it. With a slight grin he answered and pressed the cell to his ear.

"Mr Constantin…" he drawled. "You'd better have good news for me."

As expected, his associate didn't waste any time as he threw himself into a response, "We got him out of Iron Heights safely. In all the commotion, it doesn't seem he's been noticed as missing yet. My people will make sure things stay that way."

Malcolm exhaled in amusement. So simple, yet so efficient. Just the kind of associate he preferred to work alongside with. "Excellent work, Mr Constantin. You know what to do. Bring him to me when you are done. There's much to discuss, after all…"

He hung up the phone and let the good news fill him to the brim. The plan was set in motion, at last. Malcolm couldn't stop his grin from expanding on his features as he once more looked out over Starling City.

A voice whined from somewhere behind him then, "Was that the good news you've been waiting for? Mr. Constantin, is it? Can we _finally _step out of hiding?"

"Not yet, sweetheart. Not for a while yet, I'm afraid…" Malcolm assured his daughter and waved her over to his side. Thea sauntered up beside him and he placed an arm around her slim shoulders as they both watched the skyline together. "I know this isn't easy for you, but this needs to be done right. You understand me, don't you?"

Thea sighed as her irritation subsided slightly. A faint smile played at the corner of her lips like a passing ghost. "I guess... Yes, I do understand."

"We're doing this for you, Thea," Malcolm reassured. "Don't lose sight of that."

* * *

Laurel remained at the other end of the room, where she head a clear view of her foe. Helena had already seized her phone and purse to make sure no one was warned of the runaway guest.

Though she had a feeling she didn't need to fear for her life right now, Laurel wasn't stupid enough to lower her guard entirely. She'd been at the wrong end of Helena's crossbow before and had no intention of reliving such a moment.

"What is it you want from me…?" Laurel questioned again.

The Huntress sat reclined on a chair by the long, wooden table, her weapon aimed squarely at the other woman's heart.

"Flynn Bauer…" Helena voiced slowly.

"The mob boss," the other woman filled in the blanks, but still felt answers elude her. "_Why_? What do you want with him?"

Helena leaned back in her chair and her piercing glare was firm and calm as she beheld her company. She explained in her soft, almost haunted voice that was still as bereft of life as last time they had met, "Prison changes you, Laurel. For most of the day… I was stuck with no one but my own company. I had a lot of time to think in there… A lot of time to _reflect_."

"A catharsis?" Laurel snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. "You must have misunderstood the meaning of a life-turning event if you're still on this path."

The other woman chuckled coldly. "It's true: my father's death offered me a catharsis, of sorts. But his death at the hands of another left me… _empty_. I still think it should have been by _my hands_."

"This still doesn't explain why you're after Bauer."

"I want to stop him," Helena's voice was impassive and stiff as she continued, "I realized in prison that I couldn't turn from this path, even if I wanted to. I realized… I want to continue what I started. Fighting the wicked with their means. I will stop Bauer and any other mob boss that tries to take my father's place in the hierarchy. The world will be a far better place without any of them on the loose, don't you agree?"

"Stop them? How?" Lance asked cautiously.

"How do you _think_?" Helena countered with an amused grin.

"And you think I will help you kill this man…?"

"You ask a lot of questions to which you already have the answer, Laurel," the other woman drawled and sighed. "Of course you'll help. You'll help me unless you want me to kill your dad… or your mum or maybe even Oliver himself. All I need from you is your file on Bauer. I know you're working his case… without success, one might add… and I'm here to take over where _you _are failing."

"I want to take him down, too, but it should be done right," Laurel argued forcefully and took a step towards the enemy. "You said it yourself; your father's death left you _empty_. Empty because death was the easy solution. Death meant he didn't fully pay for his crimes against you and your fiance. He died - but your vengeance failed."

"You're wrong," Helena contended stubbornly and her eyes shone with unmatched sadness. "Or maybe you're right… It doesn't really matter. What matters is that these people – these _men_ – need to be stopped! One way or the other… and I just happen to prefer _my way_. Now… That's enough chat for tonight. _Give me his file_… or you know what happens next."

"There's a folder in my purse," Laurel nodded at the discarded item on the center of the table. As Helena roughly searched for what she needed, the other woman sighed. "At least… ask Oliver to help you with this. You don't have to be alone."

The brunette paused and her wide eyes were filled with bafflement as they once more found the other woman. "Well, well… He told you his secret then? No, I can't ask for his help, Laurel. He doesn't understand why I need to do this my way."

"But you think I do?"

"Yes… I do," Helena answered truthfully as she withdrew the folder. Her eyes danced with glee as she beheld it momentarily, as if it was a pot of gold and the answer to everything she had ever sought. She turned back up to her company as she explained her reasoning, "I saw it in your eyes last time we met. You have a darkness and strength Oliver has lost. His compassion makes him weak."

Laurel shook her head firmly as she held her ground. "I disagree, it's his greatest strength! And if you think you and I are anything alike… You're _delusional_."

"Am I really so delusional, Laurel…?" the brunette countered as she leisurely rose from her seat with the thick, manila folder resting in her left hand and the crossbow in the other. "I think you're refusing to admit the truth. But I don't really care. I got what I came here for. _Thank you_, Laurel."

The villain turned to the window to escape into the dead of night, but a thought jolted Laurel to take action.

"_Wait_!" she cried. Her thoughts ran a mile a minute inside her head, yet still everything was suddenly clear as day. Perhaps this was her fulcrum and the chance she'd been hoping for. She hardly believed herself when the words escaped past her full lips, "…Can I come?"

Helena stopped dead in her tracks as she turned her incredulous, blue eyes back to her company. "I don't believe it. _Laurel Lance_… wants to play masquerade with me? Who would have seen this coming?"

Laurel ignored the teasing tone and held her chin high. "Well…?"

* * *

Laurel rushed down the stairs to the foundry on quiet feet. She knew there was a big chance Oliver and Roy were still out on the streets at this hour, and the lair empty for her quick mission. In fact, the mission quite depended on this to be true.

She'd changed her clothes already. She now wore black, stretch jeans and a long-sleeved tee in the same shade. Her elegant heels were exchanged for low, dark sneakers that were better fitted for the plan. All she needed now was the finishing touch.

Her entire body pumped with adrenaline and she felt more alive than she had in months.

Her feet touched the bottom of the stairs and she glanced into the empty main area of the lair. She released a sigh of relief of finding one less hurdle to leap over. Her eyes were drawn to the glass case on the right and she stepped over to it without wasting another second. Sara's Canary jacket hung before her then, waiting for her to literally don the cape.

"Laurel? I wasn't expecting you here tonight."

Lance froze as she heard Felicity's unmistakable voice fill the foundry. Laurel collected herself and spun around to face the blond with a smile. "Felicity… I thought you had the night off."

"Dick cancelled our date. Something about a busy night in the precinct," the blonde grinned back as she crossed the room and walked back to her workstation. "Anything I can help you with? Oliver and Roy are still out hunting escaped prisoners."

"Escaped?" Laurel asked as she remembered herself and forced the confusion to appear genuine. She had to play the ignorant part right now, or endanger everything.

"There was a prison break at Iron Heights. Don't worry, though, Oliver and Roy contained it pretty well, but a couple of bad guys and girls are still on the loose. Not least of all that psycho bitch; _Helena Bertinelli_."

"Oh…" the other woman breathed faintly as another idea hatched within her brain. She slowly stepped forward as she seized the opportunity, "Hey, can I ask you for a favor since you're here now?"

Felicity's cobalt eyes were filled with bafflement as she turned around in her seat to face the other woman. "What do you need?"

"You've helped me and Oliver chase down information about Flynn Bauer these past few months..."

"Mm," Felicity nodded as confusion made its way into her intrigued eyes. "Too bad it wasn't much help for the DA's office."

"No, you did more than enough," Laurel disagreed with a kind smile. "The things is... I need your help again. Only yours. I need your help to find something, and Oliver can't know about it. Not yet."

"...I won't lie to Oliver," Felicity breathed in suspicion.

"I'm asking to keep him safe," the brunette disagreed fervently. "Please, don't question why. I just... need someone to trust in me for a change."

Felicity's eyes sparkled with thought before she exhaled deeply, "What do you need?"

"To look at Bauer's safe house."

"Okay..." The blue prints flashed by on the screen as Felicity showed her what information she had on the location just outside of town. "It's more secure than the Bertinelli residence was, with eleven armed guards, four high-tech security cameras and a bunker in the basement that can withstand an atomic bomb. When someone thought of the term 'safe house' they must have been imagining this exact house."

Laurel leaned closer as she tried to soak in all the information like a sponge. "Any way around his security?"

Felicity's shoulders tensed a fraction at the unexpected question, and her response came in the form of a counter-question, "Laurel... What are you asking?"

"No. I don't want you too involved in this, Felicity. I can't say."

"Are you in trouble? Do you need help?"

"I need to know if there's a way onto the premises. _Please_. Trust me."

"... The building is set on an old site and according to the blue prints there should be an abandoned underground tunnel that leads onto the premises, just inside the fence on the eastern border. _Here_," the blonde explained hesitantly and pointed to the entrance and exit tunnels on the maps. "Of course, it's guarded – but with a well-timed diversion, I suppose you could sneak a vigilante or two inside."

Laurel's grin widened as she exhaled in relief. "Thank you, Felicity."

The brunette turned and stalked over to the glass case further away, gazing up at the black leather with admiration. Felicity rose from her seat and slowly followed the other woman.

"... I can't let you do this, Laurel. Whatever it is. Oliver wouldn't-"

"It's not Oliver's choice," Laurel breathed and glanced back over her shoulder. "I make my own choices, Felicity. This is something I have to do, for _me_..."

"Why? Why not wait for Oliver?" Felicity questioned with genuine concern.

The other woman's shoulders slumped as she tried to find the words to describe the predicament she found herself in. "Because he wouldn't understand that this is something I choose to do. That this is something I can't involve him in. Just this once... I need him to stay safe on the outside."

"Laurel, I-"

"Felicity... I know I'm asking a lot of you. But believe me when I say; I can't tell you anymore. I'll be fine. I won't be alone, but I do need to do this," Laurel explained as she held the other's woman's gaze, hoping against hope that she could convey what needed to remain unsaid. "To prove my own worth. Not to Oliver or my dad or anyone else... but to myself. There's a plan, Felicity. I'll be fine. I'm not going to ask you to lie for me... just... give me an hour. That's all I'm asking."

Felicity searched her eyes for a few seconds before she stiffly inclined her head. "... Be careful."

* * *

"No sight of Helena," Roy called as he and Oliver entered the lair after an hour's search through the city's hectic night life. "We did catch two runaways for the police, though. So I still call that a partial success."

Oliver shared in the younger man's smirk as he walked further into the enclosed space. He pulled back his hood as he neared Felicity's workstation and saw the blonde busy behind her monitors. "Have you found anything that leads to Helena? ... _Felicity_?"

"I hacked into the traffic cameras," Felicity spoke in an unnaturally low voice, but her gaze never rose from the screens ahead. "I found something, alright."

Oliver frowned as he saw her discomfort. "What's wrong?"

"It's Laurel, Oliver. She was here when you were out. She asked me for information on Bauer, the mob boss... and his safe house just outside of town," Felicity explained in a flurry as she turned to face her friend. "And when I checked the traffic cameras due to a... hunch... I saw... Helena on a bike, heading towards the same safe house. With Laurel."

"_What_?!"

"Laurel said it was something she needed to do. I think Helena twisted her arm, Oliver. She asked for time, and... I didn't want to agree to it, but I could see she wasn't lying to me. She did need this, for whatever reason. But I couldn't lie to you. Of course not," Felicity babbled and her gaze slowly drifted to somewhere beyond his shoulder. "There's more, though..."

Oliver blinked in confusion before he followed her gaze. He turned as he saw the empty glass case next to his own. Sara's black jacket was missing and left behind it an unmistakable void. He felt trepidation rise within his chest like a tempest as his gaze dropped to Felicity once more.

* * *

Laurel crept after Helena in the shadows of the forest just outside of Bauer's estates. They were quiet as mice as they searched for the entrance tunnel to take them inside the devil's pit.

Laurel jumped slightly as she felt something vibrate in her pocket. She withdrew her phone and felt a sharp pain invade her heart. She grimaced as she pressed her phone to her ear, "Felicity told you?"

Oliver was evidently bordering on irritation and confusion as he growled in a loud voice, "What's going on, Laurel?"

"I didn't want your team involved, in case this goes wrong," the woman whispered and hoped he could tell she was telling the truth.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

Before Laurel had a chance to explain anything, Helena pulled the phone from her hand and pressed it to her own ear. "She's doing what _I _asked her to do."

"_Helena_…" the man breathed tensely. "Taking out Bauer won't change anything."

"Agree to disagree, Oliver." the brunette said as she made her way past the plentiful oaks and the fallen leaves that all shone grey beneath the new moon above.

"When I saw you last… you said you felt alone," Oliver attempted. "This won't fill the void left after your vendetta against your father, Helena! I promised you I'd be there for you, and I meant it! Don't do this! You can still turn back around!"

"No, Oliver…" Helena breathed as she caught sight of the hatch a few yards ahead. "It's too late now. I've chosen my path… and I'm sticking to it. Goodbye, Ollie."

She hung up and threw the phone back to its owner. "Shut that off, will you? I don't want any more calls to interrupt the hunt."

As Laurel put aside the phone as ordered, Helena stepped over to the hatch and pulled it open with a strong tug. She crouched down to gaze down at its potential before smiling to herself. This would serve her purpose well, indeed.

She looked back up at Laurel. She still had a hard time to believe the attorney had chosen to side with her right now, dressed in a black costume. Helena searched through her own jacket pocket and threw her ally a small item. "Use this. I had a spare."

Lance caught the mask deftly in her hands and looked down at in wonder, before nodding her head mutely. She pulled it over her head and adjusted it over her eyes. "I'm ready."

"I'm not," Helena tilted her head to the side as she glanced down at her watch briefly. When she raised her gaze once more, it was filled with innocent curiosity. "When did he tell you?"

The unexpected question and pause right at the edge of it took Laurel by surprise. She wasn't sure at all what the other woman was doing, but decided to play along. Perhaps it would let her keep her head awhile longer. "… He didn't exactly. A man called Slade Wilson told me."

"_Oh!_"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That it makes more sense," Huntress shrugged as she rose from the forest floor and brushed off a few leaves. "When he was dating me he seemed _quite_ adamant at not letting you find out about the truth. He didn't want to endanger your life… He loves you, you know. Or did then, at least."

"… I know," Laurel smiled.

Helena's smile turned slightly mocking as she brazenly questioned, "But he doesn't want you on his team?"

"Sorry?"

The brunette sighed as she ticked off the points she'd noticed up to that point, "That jacket's not yours. He didn't share his secret in the end. You're not on his team. Not really. It's the reason you wanted to help me, isn't it? You want in, but he's not letting you. He treats you like _white noise_. He's filtered you out..."

"I'm _not_ white noise to Oliver!" Laurel disagreed hotly.

Before she could open her mouth to argue properly, there was a sudden explosion from further away. She gasped as her eyes were drawn to the source beyond the fence. About fifty yards away, on Bauer's lands, she saw fires erupt on the lawn outside the extravagant building and brighten the dark night with its mystic gleam.

She saw a shadow float through the air and land just outside the forest beside them. The figure strode over to the women and Laurel frowned up at the mysterious shape. It was a man, also dressed in a costume of sorts that matched theirs. It was mostly black, but with a blue bat across his wide chest.

"Who are you?!" she managed in a frightened voice as she looked up at the tall man.

His face was hidden behind a mask as he turned to her briefly. The gruff reply came without missing a beat, "_Nightwing_."

Laurel stuttered as she tried to keep up. This plan was starting to evolve into something she hadn't signed up for already, and they had barely begun their work. "W-what's this?"

"You don't think I'm the only one who wants to fight the mobsters, do you?" Helena cooed from her right.

Laurel felt her heart beat like thunder inside her chest as she started to make more sense of their situation. The trio gazed up at the blazing inferno inside the fence and the armed guards that ran back and forth to minimize the wicked flames and guard for intruders.

"Now I'm ready. Let's go," Helena whispered and jumped into the tunnel.

* * *

"There's the ladder," Helena informed her team suddenly a while later and shone her flashlight at the exit only a few yards away. "Ready yourselves."

Laurel's veins pumped with adrenaline and not for the first time that night. Her fingers fidgeted on the Eskrima sticks she'd borrowed from Oliver's secret lair. She tried to breathe through her nose but her lungs craved too much oxygen and she ended up gulping it down as if it was water and she was in dire need of it.

"Take a few calming breaths," the man – Nightwing, she reminded herself – spoke from somewhere behind her in the dark tunnel. "It helps. And when you use those… aim for the biggest target if you're unused to them. A good blow to the chest can be just as effective as a dislocated knee. Bigger chance you'll hit your mark, too."

Laurel nodded distantly and tried to follow his breathing advice as she climbed up the ladder after Huntress. As she got out of the hole onto the lawn, she was met by the sight of a minor battle field. Some smaller fires still ruled parts of the grass, while men were running around frantically calling out orders to each other. She barely had a glimpse of Helena's fighting form ahead before another armed guard charged straight at her.

Laurel swallowed and swung her sticks as she'd seen Sara do in the past. She managed to keep a cool head as she defended herself from the man's more seasoned attacks. She remembered her own self-defense training as she struck at him again and again. Before long, the man lay unconscious beside her feet and she exhaled in relief.

Six other men lay littered across the lawn – dead or alive she couldn't tell – as Huntress and Nightwing towered over them, the first with her ready crossbow, and the latter with his own Eskrima stick. As she saw them now, Laurel had to remind herself of why she'd wanted to do this. What the whole point of this was about: Taking out the guilty before they could do more harm. She knew she was treading a fine line between good and evil, but also knew she'd made the choice willingly.

She strode over to join them and looked up at the building the mob boss used as his fortress to protect him from the rest of the world. Ahead of them were wide glass doors that stood as the gateway from the patio to the open living room. Every lamp inside seemed to be lit, as to not give the attackers any shadows to hide in, and the room was seemingly void of people.

"Nightwing, open the door for us," Helena ordered none too gently.

"Let's be clear about one thing, _Huntress.._. You don't know how I operate, but I won't take orders from you or anyone. Only reason I'm doing this is because we happen to have a mutual target," the man glared down at her. He withdrew something from his right gauntlet and rapidly threw it towards the bullet-proof glass. As it hit the surface, the item exploded and the glass shattered to the ground in a million, tiny pieces.

Laurel's mouth fell open in amazement. "What was that?"

Nightwing offered her a faint smirk. "A _batarang_."

"Let's move," Helena's interrupted and her voice dropped an octave. "Nightwing, control the perimeter in case Bauer tries to make a run for it. Remember to cut the power to the fence for a quick escape. Laurel… you're with me on this one."

Laurel adjusted her domino mask as she nodded once and followed Huntress inside the mansion.

* * *

As Oliver parked the motorcycle just outside the fenced perimeter, both he and Roy could hear shouts and chaos from within the Bauer residence.

Though the younger man didn't say a word, Oliver could still feel the questions that went unsaid between them. He exhaled tensely as he clenched his glowed hand around the bow in one hand and pulled his green hood up with the other.

"Come on!" he growled and ran forward without another command.

* * *

Roy followed the Arrow onto the lawn and aimed his bow at the six bodies he counted on the grass. None of them moved as they approached. Smoke billowed from a few corners of the garden and the smell of burned earth touched his nose as he snuck closer.

So far, they'd met no resistance, even the electric fence had been shut down as they'd entered the premises. All in all, it felt too simple. Roy's ears picked up some commotion from around the corner and he rushed forward, his crimson bow at the ready.

As he rounded the corner, he stopped short at the sight before him. Nightwing hovered over another fallen guard. The masked man turned as he heard Roy come closer. He rose from his predator stance and lowered his Eskrima sticks momentarily.

"I've done my part," Nightwing said at length. "Huntress is _his_ now…"

Roy nodded his head in understanding. The other man bowed his head with a familiar smirk before he turned and escaped into the shadows of the night. Just as he disappeared out of sight, Oliver appeared beside Roy.

The Arrow directed his frown at his ally as he yelled, "Why didn't you stop him?!"

The red-hooded vigilante shrugged and offered, "He's on our side, isn't he? Then why would I stop him?"

Oliver opened his mouth to debate the question but suddenly heard commotion and raised voices from above. One voice was decisively Helena Bertinelli's furious growl that could only mean one thing: Death was close at hand.

"They're on the roof," Roy meekly pointed out.

"Stay here," Oliver ordered in a rough snarl as he withdrew a grappling arrow from his quiver and aimed it straight. "If anyone tries to escape: stop them. If you see Laurel… stop her, too."

* * *

Laurel remained in the periphery on the blackened roof top as she watched Huntress circle her prey in the glow of the distant moon. Flynn Bauer, with his grey suit torn and left knee popped, lay on the cold ground, moaning in agony.

"You've given us the information we wanted. _Thank you._ But that means we're done with you now, I'm afraid... Any famous last words, Bauer?" Helena snarled and crouched down beside her victim. "… Before I end you, I mean."

"Helena…" the man whimpered and his green eyes shone with unshed tears. "I knew your father, Helena…"

"You think that works in your favor?" she snorted in amusement and rose in one fluid motion. She kicked him hard on the shoulder and the man fell backwards with a blood-curling scream. His shoulder had popped out of its socket, too, presumably. Laurel grimaced.

"I can't let organized crime continue, Flynn," Huntress explained with a shrug. "The mafia all need to die."

"_Helena_, _no_!" Oliver's voice suddenly cried from the other edge of the roof and everyone turned in his direction. As he stepped forward, Laurel tried to offer the green-leather wearing man an apologetic smile, but he failed to see it. His bow and arrow were aimed towards Huntress and his eyes never faltered from its target. "It's over, Helena…"

The brunette snorted and aimed straight at her target's head. "It's never over…"

Before she could pull the trigger a small flechette arrow came flying from the side and knocked the crossbow from her hand. Both Helena and Oliver turned in Laurel's direction with surprise written across their features as she stepped forward.

"I'm sorry, Helena…" she breathed and revealed another flechette hidden in her sleeve. "I couldn't let you kill him."

Bertinelli's eyes widened a fraction as she gazed up at her fleeting ally. Bitterness slowly settled in the deep orbs as she huffed in amusement, "…This was your plan all along, wasn't it? To back-stab me at the very end?"

Laurel shrugged her lean shoulders as she stepped closer to the center of the rooftop. She offered a slight grin as she explained herself, "Once you let the darkness in, it never comes out..."

"You remembered… Glad I made a lasting impression," Helena spoke in jest.

Lance shook her head. "I don't want to become a cold-hearted killer like you, Helena. I did what I thought was necessary for justice, however."

With a well-aimed strike, she hit the mob boss across the jaw with one of the metal sticks and watched him drop unconscious to the ground. She withdrew a small recording arrow from the small pocket of her jacket and waved it in the air. "With your help… I have his confession right here. I can bring Bauer before court and have him sentenced for his crimes. _That's_ justice, Helena."

Huntress' eyes darted between Oliver and Laurel and with a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

* * *

Helena's eyes danced with tears as she glared at the horizon not half an hour later. Her hands were cuffed together and there was no escape this time. She watched the moon and the stars above, gleaming peacefully despite the blood spilled during the night, and felt void of everything. There was no remorse or regret, only the sliver of a woman that once had been.

Oliver parked the car then and she was drawn from the depths of her despair. She gazed out the passenger window and frowned. "… This isn't the police station."

"I wanted to have a private word first," the man growled as he opened his car door and stepped outside. He walked around to her door and yanked it open with more force than was necessary. Helena slipped out of the vehicle. The sound of the door slamming shut behind her barely fazed her.

"… I thought you'd changed," Oliver admitted as he stepped around her and held her gaze. His eyes were filled with a feeling of betrayal and she knew it was all directed at her. "When your father had died, I thought you understood how pointless all of this was. I guess… I was the one who didn't understand."

"Oliver…"

The man cut her off with a heavy sigh that lingered in the space between them. "Why? Why turn back to that life…?"

Helena wore her heart on her sleeve as she confessed, "It's all I have left!"

"You could have so much more, Helena!" Oliver yelled back in her face. "If you only let me help you!"

The woman closed her eyes and felt tears stain her cheeks as she shook her head in disagreement. "Don't you see? I can't walk down the path _you _choose for me!"

"So instead you'll fill your life with killing and pointless vengeance once more?" he threw back in her face on the brink of desperation.

"I want to eradicate organized crime, Oliver. I thought that might be something that would interest you!"

"It is! But your method _isn't_!" he explained himself and his jaw clenched as he forced himself to calm own. "I think… you still haven't found your path in life. I could… If you would only just…"

"I can't…" she breathed and the frailty that seeped into her voice seemed enough to stupefy the man before her. "I mean it. This is _my _life, Oliver. I'm not a charity case or something you have to fix. Not everyone can live according to your choices. You can't decide what other people should do, Oliver. Even if you mean well… It's not your decision to make…"

Oliver lowered his head and she could see the heavy storm clouds gather in his downcast eyes. He remained in a stiff stance for another couple of long seconds before he reached into his pocket and withdrew something. He reached for her cuffs and Helena was surprised when he unlocked them and let the metal clatter to the ground.

Her eyes flew up to meet his, but the dissatisfaction was clear as day in his depths. "You're never coming back to Starling. Is that clear? That's the only condition I have for you. You're right… I can't decide for you, but I don't want you to poison the lives of my team again. You can go your own path… but it will not be in my city. You're free to leave, Helena…"

She opened her mouth to thank him, but he was already gone. He jumped into the car, started the engine and was gone before she really had a chance to gather her scattered thoughts.

She watched the car disappear into the distance and inhaled the sweet air of freedom.

* * *

Laurel carefully put the Canary jacket back in its glass case and closed it once more. Her hand lingered on the glass for another second before she stepped back to face her company.

Roy was gazing at her with a suspicious look she couldn't escape. She couldn't blame him, she hadn't expected him or anyone of them to understand her decision or need to act in this fashion. Felicity was stand next to the young man, something akin to understanding in her pale eyes.

"Thank you, Felicity," Laurel breathed with a grateful sigh. "For giving me a chance to act."

The blonde shrugged her lean shoulders. "It might not have been the right way... but it was the right thing in the end. Helena forced your hand, and you had to make a difficult choice that put you at odds with Oliver. It's not easy making decisions like that. But sometimes you have to."

Laurel inclined her head in friendly agreement but Roy still stood stoically in the background, not as quick to forgive what had transpired tonight in the lair. The three turned in the direction of the stairs as they heard someone quickly descend.

Oliver, dressed in a dark-blue sweater and jeans, entered the main area and came to a halt a few feet away from his team and Laurel.

Felicity exchanged a look with Roy at the sour expression that crossed Oliver's features and the blonde gently asked, "… Helena?"

The man turned to her as he explained in a short tone, "I set her free. On the condition that she never returns here."

"What about… we give you two a minute?" Felicity offered and nodded for Roy to follow her. Laurel watched the two ascend the steps and felt the easy atmosphere disappear along with them. Slowly she let her eyes fall to her ex-boyfriend and his azure eyes were lit up like a thunderstorm. He stood stiff as a tree in the forest and seemed torn about what to do and how to react around her now.

She knew what haunted them both and she didn't need him to say it out loud. She'd agreed to stay out of harm's way but a couple of weeks before, but this had been the exact opposite of that promise. She glanced at the short, black jacket in its case, that had fit her so perfectly, and some of her guilt faded.

"Before you say anything, may I explain why I did this?" Laurel begged and waited until the man inclined his head before she threw herself into it, "When Slade Wilson's Mirakuru Army invaded Starling… one of the footmen beat up my dad pretty roughly. He collapsed due to internal injuries…"

"I remember," Oliver nodded.

"What I didn't tell you then, however… was that he flat-lined at the hospital," her voice broke and she swallowed past the bile as the memories forced themselves back. "It was only for a couple of seconds, but he did. He was _dead_… Because he tried to save me. I realized then that he wouldn't have been hurt if I knew how to defend myself. I nearly lost him… The thought of…" she swallowed again and felt a tear escape its prison and leave its mark on her face. "…It was the same when Tommy died. He also tried to save me, but died. I don't want to see more people that I love die, Ollie… Not when I can make a difference and _save_ lives instead!"

The man listened intently and the second she was done, his eyes closed tight as he battled his own demons.

Laurel took the opportunity and decided to clear the air between them. She owed that to them both. "Oliver… I'm sorry I did this without telling you… I just… care so much. About _this_… and about you."

"… I care about you, too, Laurel," the man echoed and opened his eyes. "I only want you to be safe. But… Helena made a fair point tonight. I can't make the choice for you, it's your life. And clearly you'll do this with or without me… You're too strong-willed to let this pass."

Laurel blinked as she felt her heart swell with hope at his words. She wet her lips and carefully asked, "… What are you saying?"

"That I agree to train you. But _only_ if you agree to do _everything_ my way until I say you're ready. And under no circumstances may you endanger Felicity or anyone else on my team again. Do I make myself clear?" Oliver's gaze was relentless and firm. It was an order, not a plea, and they both knew it. "This doesn't mean you're on the team, but we'll take it one step at a time."

Without thinking about it, Laurel flew forward and wrapped her arms around his muscular shoulders. There was a beat before his own arms wrapped around her slender waist and his sigh tickled against the side of her neck.

Laurel pulled back, but kept her hands on his shoulders as she held his gaze with a small smile. "_Thank you_, Ollie."

She stood up her toes to give him a peck but he froze beneath her touch and she faltered. She could see hesitance dance in his eyes and it was her turn to sigh.

She stepped out of his arms and offered him another faint grin. "I know you care about me… And that's why I don't mind waiting a little bit longer for you to find whatever balance you need in life to realize that we could be good together."

"I can't promise anything."

Laurel shrugged. "You deserve to be happy, Ollie. To not just be 'the Arrow' and lose out on being 'Oliver Queen'. You don't have to promise anything, I just want you to see what I see when I look at you."

He shook his head sadly, "… _Laurel_-"

"I get it. You could be with Sara because she could defend herself. As could Helena. And Felicity… is one of a kind. She's not a fighter, perhaps, but she's still alive so she's got some hidden qualities, I presume."

"_F-Felicity_?" Oliver stuttered. "I don't-"

"The point _is_…" the woman interrupted forcefully before he could complete the sentence, " that the people closest to your heart are still alive. Whether by your aid or their own capabilities… When Sara left with Nyssa, she told me you needed me. I understand her now… I understand what she meant. You do need me, or _someone_ to love. Take all the time you need, Ollie… but please never forget that."

He nodded with a faint smile and held her gaze as he let her words sink in.

* * *

**Episode 4 to come!**

_Preview for next episode: When Felicity gets bad news from her mother, she must return to Las Vegas – in the company of good friends Oliver and John._


	4. What Happens In Vegas

_Synopsis for Episode 4: When Felicity receives bad news she goes back to Las Vegas to deal with a family emergency, with Oliver and Diggle accompanying her__. Little do they know that they are followed by someone who's been hired to reveal the Arrow's true identity…_

_Before we begin, I wanted to explain how I view Laurel's character after last chapter. _

_I do think she's poorly written on the show at times, and I'm not as big a fan of her as I was in season 1 (there have been times when I hated her in season 2). I think she's had these idealistic dreams for the future that haven't met real life and left her a very torn character. As opposed to Oliver and Sara's crucibles, I think Laurel's "crucible" left her sort of stranded in the middle – back to square one. She obviously wanted to be more and do good at the end of season 2, but Oliver wouldn't let her on the team (which was the right decision in my book). Did that stop her? No, she's too strong-willed for that. And __that's__ the character that has to evolve and grow in season 3 - into someone who has balance in life and who might actually be worthy of donning the Canary costume. Was last chapter deliberately a tug of war between the good/evil in Laurel? Yes. Was the point to make her a conniving bitch? __No__. Please remember, she's a long way from being BC still, and she hasn't earned a spot on Team Arrow yet either._

_Also, a fair warning: I don't think the show will really be able to make a believable transition for Laurel into BC, and because of that I doubt I can quite give her justice either. (Had it been my choice entirely, I would be very pleased with Sara as Canary and leave it at that) But it __will__ happen, no matter what some viewers want, and I will take it step by step from here. I can take you bashing me in reviews because I understand most are actually worried about what the show will do with this story line. _

_I understand that emotions run wild regarding Laurel, but know that I share your concerns. All that you've voiced in your reviews are concerns I have, too, and I will address them __all__ down the line. Her decision to act on her own and Oliver agreeing to train her may have felt rushed, but have a little faith in me. There is a plan. _

_And please, remember: both Laurel and Oliver are famous on the show for making __bad decisions__, they're not going to start making the right ones without evolving first._

_Having said that: Laurel is not my main prerogative or the main character of this story. Her journey to become BC is not and never will be the focus of my 'season'. In fact, expect to see less of her from here._

_Regarding Olicity or Lauriver being endgame, let me quote myself from the first chapter:__ I am an Olicity shipper, but I don't think you can get away with season 3 without some Laurel/Oliver. I want to do them __all __justice, so please don't be pissed if a ship doesn't suit your taste in a certain 'Episode'. There will be a lot of push/pull between __everyone __since it's supposed to resemble an entire season so hang in there until the end._

_If you're upset over Dick/Felicity and Oliver/Laurel right now, I encourage you to once more have some faith in me. I think Emily Bett Rickards said it best: Oliver and Felicity have to __earn_ _each other_. _That (in my mind) includes Felicity having a life of her own, Oliver getting over Laurel once and for all and both of them admitting to their emotions. None of that will happen overnight._

_We've only had 3 out of 23 chapters so far. Trust me: we're __nowhere __near__ done yet._

_I hope you enjoy this episode!_

* * *

**3x04: What Happens In Vegas**

As Oliver and Diggle made their way down the stairs into the foundry, they heard Felicity's soft voice from its usual place beside her workstation. Her tone may have been low and the words difficult to pick up, but the torment carried strong through the open space and reverberated back the guys. Her back was turned towards them, her shoulders, adorned with a yellow sweater, were stiff as a board. Oliver and Diggle exchanged a mute glance regarding the unexpected tension that greeted them, unable to look away for long from the young blonde who'd very much become part of their little family.

As they reached the end of the steps they made out the end of her phone call, "I will… Yes, mum. I'll call you as soon as I get a ticket. Bye…"

Oliver walked a few paces ahead of John. Their shoes barely clicked against the tiles as they cautiously approached. "Is everything alright?"

Felicity sat up a little straighter in her seat, but didn't acknowledge them for another couple of seconds. At last, she spun her chair around and looked up at her concerned friends. Her features seemed haunted and the guys stepped closer to offer whatever support she needed in this clear hour of need.

"I…" the blonde started. Her voice was smaller than normal and unsteady at best. She cut off every other sentence she tried to start, as if losing her trail of thought faster than she'd thought of it. "That was my mother. It seems... there's been a recent development with my grandfather. His health just... deteriorated very quickly. I haven't shared this with anyone, because I only learned the truth recently... He has stage 3 lung cancer. He's back in the hospital and… they don't think he'll be going home this time. In fact… they don't think he'll make it through the weekend... And I thought he'd make a recovery..."

Her words faded into nothingness and her eyes glazed over momentarily. In the silence that followed, Oliver didn't know what to say. When words failed him, he reached out and placed one of his hands atop her shoulder. She grabbed it and the offered comfort mutely, and he squeezed tighter. Her eyes remained downcast and distant in thought, already thousands of miles away where they belonged right now.

Diggle's voice lowered an octave as he tried to reach through to her, "Do you need anything, Felicity?"

The woman closed her eyes tight as she rose from the chair and Oliver's hand fell back to his side. Her cobalt eyes opened and revealed a pool of anguish, gazing up at them without any trace of hope. She swallowed heavily and shrugged, "Just some personal time. I should be there for him if he… I should be there for it, you know? But thank you for the offer. I appreciate it."

The sincerity carried strong in her voice, even as her teary eyes searched their faces for understanding.

"Felicity…" Oliver began slowly but his own voice faded into the shadows of the lair. He wanted nothing more than to make this right, but knew there was nothing he could say now to relieve her pain.

"I should get home and pack. Buy a plane ticket," Felicity rambled as she stepped towards the staircase, seemingly rushing for a quick exit before the floodgates opened. "I promised mum I'd call when I… I'm sorry."

Without another word she spun around and fled the area. Oliver and John knew her well enough not to chase after her. The news were too fresh and she wouldn't welcome their attempts if they tried anything this second. It still pained them both to see her suffer like this, though, to see her light diminished and overcome by shadow if even for a fleeting minute.

Though she was gone, her woe remained behind and the tension refused to settle.

"...What do we do?" Oliver asked as he turned his gaze up at Diggle.

The latter simply threw him a knowing look. "What we have to, man."

* * *

Felicity was packed and ready within an hour.

She'd managed to secure a plane ticket to Vegas that very evening, which meant that she could spend Thursday night through Sunday afternoon in the vibrant city. If it would turn out to be necessary, she'd stay for longer than that. It didn't matter what trouble she could get in with her employer, but she had a feeling Waller owed her a couple by now. Even if 'the Wall' didn't agree, she was certain Oliver and Dig would cover for her if she'd need it.

As she made her way down the narrow steps of her apartment building, she tried to gather her scattered thoughts and go over in her head if she'd remembered everything. She hadn't brought more than she'd need for a few days, but she'd packed in such a rush, she wasn't exactly sure what she'd packed, after all. It would have to do, either way.

A thought caught her unprepared and she paused in the middle of a step to fish out her phone. She had to call Dick - they'd been going steady for over a month now - and tell him about what was happening. It seemed only fair. She quickly dialed his number and briefly explained her plan of action before he'd even gotten a chance to answer her properly.

"Do you want me to come with you?" was the first thing he asked as she was done babbling.

His soft, re-assuring voice filled her with sentiment and she shook her head, briefly forgetting he couldn't see it over the phone. "I'll be fine… I just need to…"

"I get it, Felicity," he said slowly and she could practically hear the comforting smile. "Do you need a ride to the airport, at least?"

"I called a cab, already. I'm sorry, I didn't think to ask you…"

"How about I pick you up when you come back instead?"

Felicity grinned as she made her way towards the front door. "I'd like that… I'll call when I get there. I should go out and wait for my cab. It'll be here any second..."

"Take care of yourself. And your grandfather... I might not be going with you but I'm just a phone call away if you need me."

"I'll remember that. Thanks..." she whispered and hung up. She put the phone back in her suede jacket as she pushed open the heavy front door and stepped into the sunshine.

She faltered on the very first step.

"What are you two doing here?"

Diggle's dark van was parked just beside the curb and said car owner stood alongside Oliver beside it. The men exchanged an innocent shrug and Oliver explained, "We're going to Vegas to support our friend. I called the airline and we're flying out with you tonight."

Dumbstruck by their kind gesture, Felicity descended the steps and handed over her pink cabin luggage to John's waiting hand without a word of discussion. As the man walked around the car to dispose the luggage in the vehicle, the blonde slowly turned back to Oliver. He could see her thoughts whirl around madly within her gaze as she asked, "What about the… other business?"

"Roy agreed to don the green hood for the weekend," he explained with a simple smile. "Actually it wasn't very hard to persuade him. Only for _minor_ crimes he can handle on his own, though, since Laurel's slapping water. I gave her the manual you wrote for your monitors in case Roy needs a watchful eye."

"You don't… I mean, both of you don't have to come with me."

Oliver's smile widened as he opened the passenger door for her. "We know. But we want to."

She nodded and held his gaze without uttering a single word in reply. The hazy look in her eyes slowly faded, however, and she managed a weak grin in his direction.

Diggle came back around the car then and pulled her into a wordless hug. The embrace caught her by surprise but his warmth filled her with comfort immediately. She slowly encircled his waist and grinned into the collar of his jacket, "What's this for?"

"It's from me and Lyla," John explained as he took a step back, but held onto her shoulders for another beat. "She told me to give you her love and tell you that she's thinking about you. And that you can call her _any time_ if you need it."

The blonde nodded as she felt the weight in her heart lift a little at the thought of her friends' kindness. "…Shall we?"

* * *

Castor Barnes' fingers flew across the keyboard with expert speed. Barely with any effort he cracked one code after another and watched the firewalls fall like chess pieces as he headed for the main goal. He'd been working these particular codes for a long while now, and his efforts were about to pay off. He'd get inside and find the wealth he so desired without anyone being the wiser. There were simply no bread crumbs when he was done for the police to follow. The world lay at his feet, ripe for the plucking.

He chortled and leaned back in his chair with a victorious grin. The wheels groaned under the sudden pressure.

"I'm almost in, Pollux!" he called over his shoulder. "Starling City Bank… _Prepare to be robbed!_"

His twin entered the garage then and looked about at the technical gadgets that practically filled the place to the roof. The blond-haired man sighed as he stepped closer and his voice was sullen as he glanced down at the cellphone in his hand. "... There's been a change of plans. The boss wants us to go to Vegas tonight."

Castor did a double-take as he looked back up at his brother, "… _Vegas_? Why would we…?"

Pollux grimaced. "Because apparently that's where Oliver Queen will be this weekend. He just got on a plane and the boss wants us to follow."

"… I thought the plan was to wait until he slips up?" Castor said slowly and wet his lips as he tried to make sense of this sudden turn of events. "Not chase after him half across the country! Besides, if he's in Vegas, he'll leave Starling unguarded and we can cast a shadow of doubt regarding him being or not being the Arrow as we break into the bank."

"He has associates who'll cover for him, you know that," Pollux shot down his suggestion with a weary sigh. "There _will_ be a guy in green hood in Starling this weekend… just not the right one. If we want to reveal him as the Arrow, we have to punch a few sizable holes in his cover story. Show the world that Oliver Queen is more than meets the eye."

"But we had a robbery planned for tonight!" the other man whined as he waved a hand in the direction of the computers. "Starling City Bank… or an ex-billionaire? We're talking billions for _us_… or billions for _none_! We broke that computer system to Iron Heights Prison, surely our boss still owes us one for that little job on the side. He'll understand if we prioritize the money this _once_ and wait until that good-for-nothing Queen returns?!"

Pollux sighed and for a long second it seemed he wouldn't response. With no forewarning, he grabbed hold of his twin's collar and pulled him up with a growled, "It's _Drake Constantin_ we're talking about! When Mr Constantin orders something… you _don't_ renege. Unless you want to die. Besides… there are places to rob in Las Vegas, too. How about we kill two birds in one stone?"

* * *

Later that evening, Oliver, Diggle and Felicity found themselves in the backseat of a yellow cab as they drove through the vibrant city of Las Vegas. The bright signs and neon lights passed by in a blur as the blonde woman gazed out the window. She'd barely spoken a word since they'd landed, but the guys had wordlessly decided not to push. When she wanted them, she could turn to them instead.

"_Oh_," Felicity breathed all the sudden and turned to her company. "I forgot about a hotel! I knew I'd forgotten something..."

"I didn't," Oliver offered in a soothing voice from the other end of the backseat. "I booked us all rooms at a comfortable hotel just off The Strip. It's not the Four Seasons, but it'll do."

"Anything that's not my mother's will do," she muttered and flashed him a smile that seemed infinitely less troubled. She turned to look outside again and suddenly pointed to the corner of a building as they passed it. "That was my favorite breakfast place right there. It serves some mean waffles. How about I take you guys there tomorrow morning?"

"How about tonight?" Diggle coaxed gently. "Dinner among friends?"

Felicity looked up at him apologetically. "I was thinking about taking an early night, actually. I'm not really hungry, and I promised to call Dick. I thought I'd just head up to my hotel room when we get there."

"Breakfast it is then," Oliver chipped in with a reassuring breath.

* * *

"_This_ is your favorite breakfast place?" Oliver asked the next morning as he gazed about in the small diner only a block or two away from The Strip. It was a simple diner: white and modern, with open spaces and not what he had expected for glitzy Vegas. It seemed almost too clean and perfect for this place, a diamond in the rough.

"_Was_. When I lived here," the woman corrected without missing a beat. Clad in a white blouse and crimson-colored, flowing skirt, Felicity seemed to fit right in as she sat on the opposite side from her friends in their little booth. She put her porcelain cup down on the tabletop and pointed towards it, "Are you sure neither of you wants to try the hot cocoa? It really is to die for."

"No, thanks. You know, I've never been to Vegas before," Diggle mused and sipped from his coffee.

"I have," Oliver said with a casual shrug.

It had been many years since he'd last been there, of course. In fact, it felt like an entirely different life. It had happened on occasion that he and Tommy went to Vegas for partying without giving their families a heads up of their spontaneous plans. It had earned him more than one furious phone call from his parents and even Laurel, as far as he remembered. In fact, that was about all he did remember about his nights in Vegas. Everything else seemed to have disappeared in a drunken blur.

Felicity snorted as she turned her attention to the waffles before her. "_We know_. I found the photos online... and a film."

Oliver's gaze flew up to hers as he frowned. "What film?"

"Don't worry. I removed it from the world wide web... But not before I saved a copy. I'll show it to you someday."

The man mockingly glared across the void at her. Just as he was about to retort, he felt something vibrate in his jeans pockets. He dug out his phone and looked down at the caller-ID. "Excuse me," he told his company as he scooted out of the booth to reply. "Jane?"

Her British accent was crisp and her raspy voice unusually clear. "_Oliver_! I'm standing here with Walter in his office, waiting for this guy we're supposed to meet for a discussion on how best to return his family's company to his control. You wouldn't happen to know where he is?"

Oliver closed his eyes tight and exhaled slowly through his nose. He felt caught in the middle of a crude tug-of-war - between Felicity's troubles and reclaiming QC - but knew this had been his own fault. It had entirely slipped his mind after the previous night. "That was today? I forgot."

"I'm starting to see how you lost QC," Jane jibed, but there was neither cruelty or irritation in her voice.

"I'm out of town, actually," he grimaced. "There was a family emergency."

"Oh, God..." she breathed in return. "It's not Thea, is it?"

"No, no... But I should be back in Starling on Monday, at least. How about a meeting then?"

"Well, I'm meeting the board on Wednesday, so that will have to do, then," Jane agreed. "See you Monday morning."

Oliver attempted to fill his own tune with joviality, "Unless I forget."

"Oh,_ h__ar har._ Goodbye, Ollie."

He hung up and sighed down at his phone. He knew he had a lot of work ahead of him regarding Queen Consolidated and a steep hill to climb. But there was a time and place for everything, and this weekend could not be about his company. This weekend he had to prioritize other things closer to heart.

"Is everything alright?" John asked as Oliver sank back into the seat beside him.

"Yeah," Oliver waved off the concern without batting an eyes. "Just work-related. Nothing that can't wait a couple of days. So... What now?"

Felicity sighed as the men turned to look at her. She carefully placed her fork onto the tabletop and the metallic sound embraced their little group. She inhaled and cautiously spoke, willing her voice to be strong and collected, "I... I thought I'd head to the hospital straight away, actually. Be there at the start of visiting hours."

"Do you want us to come with you?"

The woman shook her head and her long, blonde locks graced her slim shoulders with the motion. "No, that's fine. But… I'll probably be hungry afterwards. So lunch?"

Her carefree attitude thus far this morning didn't fool either of her friends. It was her ordinary way of evading the truth, and defend herself in troublesome days. Endless rants and a certain sparkle to not let people see what concerns truly hid beneath the surface. Oliver and John saw it, however, as clear as day, but were still hesitant to push her into a conversation she wasn't ready for yet.

"Meet up at the hotel around one?" Dig suggested instead.

"Perfect."

"_Hey_…" Oliver called softly as he saw her eyes dip low again, a barely noticeable shadow crossing her features. "It'll be fine."

Felicity sighed as she relaxed back into her seat momentarily, "Oliver, John… You know I'm _beyond_ grateful that you're here with me. And I'm sorry for… behaving like this. I just… don't really like being in Vegas. I always get tense and... I'm sure you'll find out why soon enough. And this thing with my grandfather… I need some time."

"Take all the time you need, Felicity," Diggle said and his brown eyes sparkled as he inclined his head in the direction of the other man. "Besides, with you visiting your relatives, Oliver can give me a tour of his favorite places in Vegas. Maybe even buy a second pair of leopard pants..."

Felicity chuckled as Oliver scowled at his friends.

* * *

Not an hour later, Felicity found herself seated at the very edge of the worn chair beside her grandfather's bed in the hospital. He had a room of his own and it was quite spacious, which made her happy to notice. It was sterile and impersonal, but she'd brought a bright bouquet of flowers to give the room some life. She's placed it on a table in front of the beeping monitors to keep them out of sight, as if the simple notion could make her forget this particular truth.

She clasped her grandfather's old hand in her own as she listened to him talk about fond memories of her youth. She tried to focus on his azure eyes, that kept all of its color even as his skin paled before her very eyes. He was skinnier than she remembered, more hallow. Still, his heart was the same and he'd asked to be taken off the pain medicine while she was there, to keep his mind sharp and focused.

His voice was slow and raspy like sandpaper, as he babbled enthusiastically, "Do you remember when you won your first trophy in a swim tournament? You can't have been more than eight... You looked like a dolphin as you left your opponents far, far behind you. You were so happy, too... One of the first times I've seen your mother truly proud of you."

Felicity stiffened in her seat. "_Grandpa_... Let's not-"

"Do you still do it?" he interrupted and held her gaze firmly. "Swim, I mean?"

"I-_No_. I quit after college when I moved to Starling City. There didn't seem to be a lot of time for swimming then," she explained and exhaled in relief, glad that he had shifted focus back from other family members. "I do miss it, on occasion. Swimming laps always made me feel alive."

"You should never have to give up something that makes you that happy, honey," her grandfather chided. He paused as a heavy coughing spell consumed him and rocked his body almost violently. Eventually, he collapsed back against his pillows, exhausted and weary from the exertion.

Felicity sat silent as she listened to his wheezing breaths and felt her carefully built barriers collapse. Denying anything felt pointless when staring death in the face so bluntly. She swiped at a tear that threatened to fall as she inhaled shakily. As she gazed down at their hands, her whisper was barely audible, "... I can't do this."

Though still breathless and weary, he clasped her hand tighter. "You're a strong girl, Felicity. You _always_ have been. You'll find a way."

"I don't _want_ to," she confessed and the heartfelt admission lingered in the small space between them.

Her grandfather sighed, "What we want, what we need... We don't always have the last say regardless. Things happen and we fight the injustices that we can, and accept the ones we cannot. I know I don't have a lot of time left... and that's _my_ burden, Felicity. I've made peace with it... It's hard, but you should try doing the same," he paused and seemed to deliberate with himself whether or not to push forward, but in the end he did, "It's funny, how clear life seems at the end. Why must you live a whole life before you learn how to live at all? I've made peace with a lot of things in my life during these past few days... I don't want to die with any remorse. Peace of mind only comes with peace of heart..."

Felicity leaned back in her seat as she heard what went unsaid. "You mean..."

"Your mother misses you terribly," he nodded.

She shook her head slowly and tried to clear her mind as it riled viciously and threatened to consume her with grief and irritation. "I didn't-... It was _her_, grandpa. She told me I wasn't welcome here... She told me... You know what, it doesn't matter what she said."

"I know you two have never been good at seeing eye to eye. Your mother's caused a lot of concern for all of us during the years... But she cares about you, Felicity. She called you here to be at my bedside because she loves you and wanted you here. She might not admit it, but I know there's time to forgive and forget," the elder man smiled.

Felicity pondered his words and in the end didn't know what to say. Instead she mirrored his expression and hoped he'd be satisfied with that answer.

* * *

When the clock struck noon, Felicity was standing in the spacious lobby to their hotel, waiting for the guys to arrive. Her mind was a mess as her grandfather's words echoed in her head, bouncing back and forth like a tennis ball between the walls of her skull. She didn't know how to make sense of any of this. All she wanted was a glass of red wine, or possibly a pint of mint chip. Either would be lovely right about now.

When her mother had called her the day before, she had been surprised to hear the familiar voice. Felicity had been positive they weren't speaking since her last visit. There was a lot of water under that bridge, and the foundation was rocky at best. For as long as she remembered, they'd clashed together if they spent more than half an hour together in a room. She'd early on accepted that it was simply how things were, but as she'd grown older... Something had changed between them. She _loved_ her mother, but she didn't necessarily _like_ her very much at times.

As she silently fumed, she didn't hear Oliver and Diggle arrive. She jumped, startled, as a warm pressure landed on her elbow and spun around to meet Oliver's worried, blue eyes. He had a particular look to his eyes and she figured he'd tried calling her several times without her even noticing.

"I'm sorry," she recovered quickly. "I was just... far off."

"How's he doing?" Diggle asked.

"He's..." the blonde woman began but words failed her. Her gaze traveled past their shoulders and she froze at the sight that met her. "_Oh no_."

"Fliss!" they heard a bright, female voice call out from across the lobby.

Diggle sniggered down at his friend. "… '_Fliss'_?"

"_Don't_," the blonde grimaced.

The guys turned around to face the source of the voice in question. It was a blonde, slender woman in her fifties, heading towards them with firm, solid steps. She had a wide grin plastered onto her tan face and billowing locks that seemed both trashy and classy at the same time. She wore dark jeans with a fitted top and a white, suede jacket to finish off the look. Her eyes, the same exact color as Felicity's, were full of life, though something unreadable simmered beneath the surface.

"I'm so sorry about this," Felicity muttered before the elder woman came within hearing distance. "Mum...! How'd you know where to find me?"

The elder woman stopped a few paces ahead of them and shrugged with an easygoing gesture, "You sent me an email-"

"_Text_."

"-with the name of your hotel yesterday, honey," the woman disregarded her daughter's correction. "I was just by the hospital, and your grandfather told me you were heading out to lunch. Since you didn't answer my call, I hoped to catch you here before you went out."

"Eh..." Felicity sputtered before she waved a hand between the two striking gentlemen by her side. "I want you to meet my friends! This is-"

Before she could get further, her mother intercepted, "Are either of you boys Jewish?"

Oliver and Diggle exchanged a quick, bemused smile before the Queen heir faced the elder woman with a low, "…No."

"Too bad."

"_Ma!_" Felicity breathed. "This is John and Oliver. Oliver and John… meet my mother: Evelyn Smoak."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs Smoak," Oliver said as he shook her hand politely.

Evelyn eyed him curiously. "… Oliver? As in _Queen_?"

"That would be the one, yes."

"I read the tabloids. I know quite the bit about you," her tone was half-impressed, half-negative. She leaned in closer to her daughter and asked, "What are you doing here in his company, honey?"

Felicity eyed the ceiling briefly as she replied in a constrained voice, "I worked at Queen Consolidated. Remember?"

"But you _don't_ anymore… Is he... _you know_?"

"Actually," Oliver dove in to try and save the situation as he noticed Felicity's cheeks burn more crimson by the second, "I'm here on business. I'm looking for possible investors for a project here in Vegas, and when I learned Felicity was going back home because of a family crises … Well, we worked it out with the dates. Mr Diggle was more than happy to accompany me. We didn't want to leave a friend alone."

"Why would she be alone? She has me."

Oliver merely grinned tightly.

Felicity spluttered. "You're just… _Completely_ wrong, mum. _Please_. Behave."

"When do I _not_, Fliss?"

The younger woman tilted her head to the side, "Do you want an honest answer to that? Or will this be like that time you met Tyler's dad at my tenth birthday party and I had to lie to Tyler about his father's whereabouts. Because I did _not_ see his father alone in the kitchen peeling potatoes… which was a terrible lie to begin with because we weren't even having anything potato-related."

"She's very good at talking, isn't she? But I don't need to tell you two that, do I?" Evelyn turned to the men and her voice carried an undercurrent of something darker that neither of the guys could understand. "Believe it or not but it was worse when she was a little girl. Well, when she wasn't busy with her computers, that is. I used to tell everyone that there wasn't a word she'd met that she didn't like."

"Yes. Thank you, mum… for that _fascinating_ detail," the younger woman spoke through gritted teeth and tugged on her mother's jacket to pull her aside.

Diggle shook his head slowly as he breathed low, "Starting to see where she gets her brain-to-mouth filter."

Oliver merely exhaled with a grin.

Certain they were far enough away from the guys to not be overheard, Felicity exhaled as she looked down at her mother. She felt pent up anger and irritation well up inside her chest, begging for a release, but she kept it locked inside for now. "Why are you here, mum? I mean _really_."

"We need to talk, Fliss."

"I recall us saying quite a lot last time I was in town."

"Which is why we need to talk. I'm working tonight, but come by the casino for a little while, will you?"

"… _Fine_. I'll be there. Six?"

"I get on at seven," Evelyn said and glanced back at the Oliver and John in the distance. "And bring your boys."

Without another word, the older Smoak stepped past her daughter and headed out of the small hotel. Like a ruptured balloon, the tension seemed to seep out of the room as soon as she was gone. Felicity exhaled slowly as she stepped over to her friends.

"Lunch?" she asked in a bright voice that was only an octave too high.

Oliver gazed down at his friend. "So, your mother… I have a couple of questions."

Felicity groaned as she met his eyes and steeled herself for the worst. "Of course you do…"

"Does she dye her hair blonde, too?"

The woman blinked and couldn't stop her carefree laughter to spill from her lips in response. His question broke through to her, at last, and released some of her anguish. She happily took Diggle's offered arm as the three of them headed out to eat. Little did they notice two shadows who'd overheard everything.

* * *

"Got it!" Castor breathed as he looked down at his tablet. "Evelyn Smoak works as a cocktail waitress at a small casino North of The Strip. Crappy firewalls... This _won't_ be a nut to crack."

"_Beautiful_," Pollux cooed from the armchair beside his brother and his gaze followed the trio until they were out of the hotel. Certain that the coast was clear, he turned back to his brother, clad in a dark suit just like him, and punched his upper arm. "Didn't I say this would run smoothly?"

The other man snorted. "Actually, you didn't. But it could. Every casino has a a more or less complex security system to make sure they're not robbed and to prevent players from counting cards. This little casino is '_less_ complex'. I'll break it within the hour and control it by tonight. If you can get us inside, with heavy ammo - as I know you prefer - I'll hijack the cameras to my tablet and we could rob the place without anyone being the wiser. It won't be the Starling City Bank, but at least it's something..."

"The point, _brother mine_, is to catch Oliver Queen acting suspiciously alike a certain hooded vigilante... The money is a bonus."

Castor rolled his eyes. "And that's what the hijacked cameras are for. When Queen reacts and tries to stop us, we'll have it all on tape for the world to see. The feed will transfer live to Mr Constantin so he can decide what to do with the material. I'm guessing the Daily News won't be enough?"

* * *

Seated around the lunch table at another diner Felicity had chosen for them, the guys noticed their friend seemed to be more like her usual self. She babbled more than usual, but at least she was opening up and letting them in little by little. If it was due to remorse of keeping them at arm's length before, or a genuine desire to lower her walls for them, neither Diggle nor Oliver knew for certain, but were grateful to see her return to life.

"I never liked growing up here," she admitted at the end of a particularly long sermon on the city itself. It wasn't news to either of the guys, but they let her clear her head as she evidently needed it. "I mean... Yes, my grandfather was always here to support me but _my mom..._ Well, you saw her today. Let's just say we had a lot of differing opinions."

"What about friends?" Oliver threaded carefully.

"Didn't have a lot of those growing up," Felicity replied without missing a beat. Worried that he'd hit a nerve, Oliver looked up to read the look on her face. It was neither wistful or sad, and he sighed in relief. She seemed to have left it in the past where it belonged, but didn't mind sharing as she elaborated on her tale, "Kids here are… Well, not the nicest in the country. One girl I thought was my friend made me shave off my right eyebrow when I was eight. I looked like a funky ghost for a few weeks before it grew back. It's still uneven and tricky to pluck right," she shrugged and grimaced. "Of course, I didn't make things better when I hacked into the mainframe of my high school and flunked all those kids who'd been rudest to me. That didn't sit well with the other kids… or their parents. Let's just say I preferred college. I won't be going to any high school reunions."

"If you ever decide differently, Dig and I could always accompany you, you know."

"Ha! Me, appearing as the date of Oliver Queen: handsome, notorious and ex-billionaire? No one I used to know would believe that. I hardly do and you're my friend. And with a bodyguard to top it off? It would almost be worth it simply to see the shock on everyone's faces!" Felicity laughed and sipped greedily from her red wine. Oliver simply nodded as he turned back to his own meal.

John sighed as he saw the deflective walls rise back up between his friends. He didn't much want to get stuck in no man's land after watching them make such progress. Denial and frustration had brought his friends quite a long way, but they were evidently at an impasse they weren't ready to overcome right now. "So... casino night, huh?"

* * *

Later that evening, Felicity wearily stopped at the top of the stairs and looked into the familiar venue.

This casino wasn't exactly The Mirage, but somehow it had stood the test of time and still drew quite the crowd of devoted gamblers. The three blackjack-tables and a few worn slot machines were already busy. There were about twenty people filling the main area of the casino though it was barely nine at night. The buzz of people rose to the roof as the booze kept on flowing and the house kept on winning. Felicity inhaled the familiar scent of cigars, spilled wine on the carpet and greed. She'd spent more time inside these walls than she cared to admit.

She glanced sideways as the boys, both clad in stylish suits, stepped up beside her and took in the full experience of the glitzy casino. Ultimately, they shared a short nod and turned to look down at her in expectancy.

"We should find my mother first. Better get that of the way... She'll be working in the bar tonight since it's a Friday. Over there. To the right."

Felicity's high heels were quiet against the carpeted floor as she led the way through the small crowd without difficulty. She nodded to the Head of Security by one of the doors and he waved in surprised recognition.

"That's Vito," she explained to Diggle who was closest behind. "I helped him get out of this tangle once several years ago. There was a parking ticket and a few other things- Not important. Point is, he always looked the other way when I came here to count cards after that. He knew I only did it to fund college and was surprisingly supportive despite his job description... Wait, I see my mum! How do I look?"

John frowned in confusion as he and Oliver eyed her white blouse, big purse, heels and the Aztec-print, mini skirt that revealed her long, slender limbs. "You always look good, Felicity."

"Thank you," she exhaled and her eyes remained fixed on her mother ahead, as if preparing herself mentally for a fight from which only one could return a winner. "Mother hates short skirts."

The eldest man snorted in amusement as he glanced back at Oliver. With a smirk, John remarked, "Knock 'em dead."

* * *

Felicity tapped her mother's shoulder indiscreetly and the elder cocktail waitress swirled around, nearly hitting her daughter with the black tray she carried in her left hand.

Her pale eyes widened as she recognized her daughter and she stuffed the small note pad into her short apron. "You came! ... That skirt is a little bit too short for you, isn't it?"

The young woman pushed her glasses up the ridge of her nose as she prepared herself for the inevitable. All her life, her mother had commandeered their fights, but tonight there would be a change. "You wanted to talk."

"I meant after work, perhaps-"

"Please, mum," Felicity said. "Let's not do this again. I promised grandpa I'd talk to you tonight."

"Service corridor," Evelyn nodded to the open doors a few paces behind the bar. "Where are your boys?"

"Having a drink in the bar," the other blonde nodded her head in the direction of the two men seated somewhat stiffly at the counter. Her mother nodded firmly and followed her daughter away from the bar area.

As they reached the secluded area where no one could overhear, Felicity swirled back to face her mum, her long ponytail flipping around with her. She protectively put her arms around her waist as her mother started, "I know we agreed that we needed some space from each other, Fliss... But it's been over a year since I heard from you."

Felicity closed her eyes tight. "We didn't _agree_, mum. You told me not to bother coming home."

"I was mad, Felicity... I was worried about _you._ Starling City isn't a safe place, sweetheart," Evelyn's voice was clear and bright.

Her daughter shook her head in disbelief as anger bubbled just beneath the surface. "I don't want to have this talk _over and over."_

Evelyn remained silent for a few long seconds and something flashed painfully through the windows of her soul. "... I've never known how to talk to you, Felicity. You've always spoken more to your computers than to your own mother."

Felicity's shoulders slumped low as the truth spilled out, "Because you never shared my interests and I didn't share yours... We've never had much in common. Some mothers and daughters just don't. I'm not upset by that."

"I know. But I tried. I've always _tried_, honey... When you were a girl, I kept bringing you home all those old computers I'd found in dumpsters or other machines for you to repair. I brought them because it always made you smile so brightly... Like the sun itself. I only ever wanted you to be happy and I'm sorry I've never been able to give that to you... But at least I tried for you. All you had to do was make an effort in return... And there's still time," Evelyn smiled faintly. "You should come home."

"I _am_ home. I mean: _in Starling City_. That's where I belong," Felicity said, even as she saw the rift between them widen. Her voice trembled with things left unspoken too long and she decided to take the plunge. She'd promised her grandfather to make an attempt, but she couldn't without the whole truth being out once and for all. As her words poured from her mouth, she could hear her voice raise higher and higher with the emotional toll, "All my life you've told me I could be nothing more than a cocktail waitress! Like you! The best decision I ever made was to _stop believing_ in you. I studied, I left this place and I made something for myself. Now look at me... _Look at me!"_

Her mum sighed as she registered her daughter's pleading tone. With something akin to pity, Evelyn looked up at her kin. "You're unemployed and back in Vegas... What is it you want me to see, Felicity?"

The young woman flinched back involuntarily. The words died in her throat. She wanted to yell and tell her mother it wasn't true. Tell her about her secret life and about saving the city as the partner of a true hero, but nothing came out. She couldn't say anything, after all. It wasn't her secret to spill, but her burden to bear nonetheless.

"...I should go," she managed at length and brushed past her mother before she wore her heart on her sleeve.

She stomped towards Oliver and Diggle and they turned to her with compassion in their eyes. She knew they'd seen it all, even if they'd heard nothing. Felicity forced her gaze to remain above their heads as she said, "I think I want to count cards."

"Okay," Oliver breathed and swiftly rose from his chair as she walked away from them.

He buttoned his grey suit and hurried after Felicity. As he caught up to her, he placed a hand at her lower back to let her know he was there. She drew a shaking breath but slowed down slightly at his touch. They stepped back onto the casino floor and Oliver nodded over to an empty seat at the table furthest away from them.

They began walking towards it when a shape suddenly flew out from the sea of people and violently tugged Felicity away from Oliver. Before Oliver could react the person had fired a gun straight up at the roof and chaos erupted everywhere. All the casino guests shouted in panic and dove straight for the floor as the robber held the blonde close to his side.

Oliver hunched low with the others as he breathed calmly and took in the situation with a trained eye. There were two men with semi-automatics on the casino floor who remained standing. They wore suits and their faces were covered behind black balaclavas as they took command over their hostages.

"_Nobody move_!" the one who clung to Felicity hollered at the twenty or so people that lay at his feet across the small room. "This is a robbery. So if we could kindly get all your money... no one will be hurt! If you fail to do as we ask... There will be consequences!" he pointed the gun squarely at Felicity temple and Oliver saw her tremble in fright as the metal touched her head.

He clenched his fist and gazed about. There were too many cameras and too many witnesses to do much of anything. He clenched his jaw as he looked about for Diggle, but couldn't see the man anywhere. The Head of Security was also gone, and he could see the other two guards knocked out on the floor beside the entrance. No help there then.

"Now... You have twenty minutes to give me everything you own and the cashier cage's earnings for the night... Or we'll start shooting hostages!" the lead-robber snarled and pushed Felicity down to the ground. She landed hard on her knees and crawled over to Oliver's side as soon as she was free. He put an arm around her slender shoulders and held her close as she willed her breathing to match his calmer one.

The second robber eyed the pair for a long outdrawn second and his voice seemed abundant with dark amusement, "_The clock is ticking_..."

* * *

In the commotion, Diggle had managed to grab hold of Mrs Smoak and ducked behind the bar counter further away. Vito, the head security guard was also hiding beside them as scared guests lay scattered beneath floors here and there beside the bar.

"I say we attack..." Vito breathed as he leaned closer to the bodyguard.

John pushed down the guard's gun firmly. "Not now."

He glanced over the countertop, careful not to be seen, and gazed at the larger crowd held hostage by the two robbers. He could see Felicity and Oliver crouched side by side as the two men in black circled the hostages. There was no clear shot. There were too many people that could end up in the crossfires if they tried anything right now. He had to bide his time.

Diggle turned back to his company and informed them, "It's too dangerous. Keep it low."

Evelyn shook her head at the news and seemed close to the breaking point, walking a very thin line she had no problem crossing due to the circumstances. She tugged the gun from the guard's hand as she frantically breathed, "They had my daughter!"

The terrified woman's eyes shone with determination as she made to stand. Diggle threw himself forward and managed to keep her down and out of sight. She whimpered beneath his strong touch as he covered her trembling hands with his own, making sure that the gun remained low.

"We have to save my girl!" Evelyn hissed and her wide eyes searched the bodyguard's for reprieve as tears slid down her cheeks. "I can't... She's not...?"

Diggle sighed heavily as he crouched beside the elder woman. "Your daughter's fine, Mrs Smoak."

"The masked man... He held a gun to her head and he..." the woman swallowed and dropped the gun to the floor. Diggle grasped it quickly and kept a firm grip on it.

"Your daughter's a tough cookie. And I think I see where she gets it from," John offered the woman a reassuring smile. "You have to stay quiet and stay down, Mrs Smoak. Just be patient. We have to wait for a clear shot so that we won't risk hurting innocent people. Okay?"

Evelyn nodded fervently and wiped at the stray tears. "Okay... Yeah. Okay."

Diggle made himself as flat as possible against the floor as he crawled towards the entrance hole of the counter, from which he had a fairly good view of the casino floor.

* * *

Oliver glared up at the two men as they walked back and forth between their hostages. They seemed tremendously cocky for attempting a robbery in a town like Vegas. Even more, it disturbed him to realize they seemed to be waiting for something and kept glancing in his direction. They both carried heavy weapons, but the one furthest away also held a tablet he kept on turning back to every now and again.

"Got it!" Felicity breathed behind him and Oliver glanced back over his shoulder. She'd pulled out her tablet from her purse a few minutes ago to try and give them an overview of the situation as Oliver blocked the robbers' view of her with his bigger body. She whispered, "They're in the security system. That's what he keeps checking on his tablet... He must have have hacked into the casino's main frame and gotten past the fire walls. It's barely traceable, but it's there. Actually, you know what this reminds me of? Iron Heights last we-"

"Stay on target."

"_Right_... The doors are all controlled by the same program, which _they_ control. We're locked in here. The alarms haven't been set off so the police don't know. To the outside world nothing would appear wrong. This hacker's actually really good... He's also hacked into the camera feeds. It appears to be transferring the feed to an outside location. I can't access it or follow the trace. I can't see where Diggle is, either. With any luck, he's somewhere the cameras can't see him."

"He's fine," Oliver reassured, careful not to move his lips too much as he kept his predator glare on the robbers. One of them kicked a random hostage down to the ground and Oliver flinched without realizing it. He saw Felicity's hand seize hold of his grey sleeve and he stiffened.

"You can't!"

"I have to stop them," he hissed.

"No. _Don't_," she reiterated with a silent plea. "You'll just risk revealing your identity. We can't afford that. Diggle's got it. He'll find a way… _Please_."

Oliver released a breath he hadn't been aware of keeping and sank back beside her. "If they get violent with any of the hostages I'm going after them."

"Deal."

He gritted his teeth as he saw the men exchange a glance and look back in his direction for the thousandth tim. A thought struck him and he muttered, "They know who I am."

"What?" Felicity asked in surprise and her voice was just a fraction louder than before.

"They keep looking this way. Expecting me to act, no doubt," Oliver explained and saw the lead-robber move towards them. "They're coming this way. Lower your gaze, Felicity. Do not look at them directly, do you understand?"

She simply nodded and did as instructed, but it was too late.

"What's this?" the man snarled as he reached their side and pulled the tablet away from her grasp. He threw it hard against the floor and it broke with a crushing noise. Felicity whimpered.

The man once more pulled the woman up from the floor and she winced in pain as his fingers dug into her arm. She tried to keep her breathing even, but she stiffened as a board when the cold metal pressed against her head for the second time. The man with the balaclava merely looked down at Oliver, as if expecting a reaction of some kind.

Oliver clenched his fist by his sides reflexively and his eyes shone with pure hatred. Felicity imperceptibly shook her head when his gaze found hers, but her eyes suddenly rose above his head. Her eyes widened a fraction with a certain realization, before Oliver saw her relax entirely in the man's grasp. Her sudden dead weight made the man drop her and she fell to the floor easily.

Before her knees had even hit the ground, a gun shot echoed through the room. The robber, who'd turned into an easy target when the blonde had fallen from his grasp, staggered back a step and drew a short, trembling breath. He gazed down at his chest and touched the wound gingerly, watching the red liquid seep down the front of his suit jacket. With a gurgling sound he sank onto his knees and keeled over.

"No! _Pollux_!" the other man cried and swirled around to face the shooter.

Diggle stood tall and steady beside the bar, his gun trained expertly at the second robber. "You sure you want to try that?"

The balaclava-wearing man hesitated but not for long. He dropped his gun and fell to his knees beside his dead brother, whimpering as he reached for his kin.

* * *

About an hour later, the police finally pulled the still living robber out of the casino and the paramedics wheeled out the dead man. The chaos had just about settled and the terrified casino guests had started to file out after being interrogated.

"Three cheers for Diggle! _Our hero!_" Felicity breathed in relief as she and Oliver re-joined their friend. The woman kissed the tall man's cheek.

Oliver gazed up at his friend with gratitude. "Felicity's right, Dig. If it weren't for you, I..."

His unspoken words lingered in the air between the trio. If Oliver had reacted, his secret identity could have been endangered and their worlds potentially destroyed. If he was right and the robbers were waiting for him to act, they were certainly lucky Diggle had reacted before disaster could strieke.

A throat cleared beside them and they turned to see Evelyn cautiously approaching their trio. Her face was ashen and her hands trembled. "Felicity..."

"Not now, mum."

"It's not..." the elder woman whispered as her gaze fell to the phone that rested in her palm. A lone tear rolled down her face and Felicity felt her blood freeze within her veins.

* * *

Felicity gazed out through the window at the dark night sky and let the darkness embrace her slender frame as she stood in the sterile corridor. "I can't believe he's gone. All my life's he's been here... and now he isn't. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"At least you were here, Fliss," her mother spoke with a soft voice from somewhere behind her.

Felicity turned to look at her seated mother. Evelyn looked like quite the worn lady, but Felicity had a feeling she did, too. She'd shed more than a couple of tears since hearing the sad news and they'd rushed to the hospital but it had all been to late. He was already dead.

Felicity couldn't help but feel cheated on her grandfather's final days. She'd thought they would have the whole weekend, _at least_, despite what the doctors had said. In the end, they had barely gotten _one_ day. It had definitely been a wild and crazy roller coaster today, and all she wanted was to get off. She wanted Earth to stop spinning for just a few seconds so she could catch her breath and understand what was going on around her.

"I miss him," she confessed.

"The two of you always had a special bond," Evelyn's voice was frail as the woman rose to join her daughter by the windows. "I know he was the one who encouraged you to get away from here, and... I never understood why. I still don't, but I see how much it mattered to you. You were right, Felicity. We don't have a lot in common... You always had more in common with your dad."

The unexpected admission caught the young woman by surprise and she clung to it like a beacon in the wilderness. "I did...?"

"Much like your grandfather, he was very fond of you, Felicity. Despite our fights, he... He cared."

"You never talk about him."

Evelyn shut her eyes tight for a long second and her voice filled with emotion as she revealed, "There's much you don't know about that man, but you _should_ know that he always loved you. Your grandfather loved you more than anything, and I love you, too, sweetheart. I am your parent, and as such I have only ever wanted you to be happy. I... thought I was going to lose you tonight, Fliss. When I saw that man hold the gun to your head... I..."

Felicity shrugged. "I'm used to it," as her mother frowned, the younger woman backpedaled. "I... I mean used to _your worry_. Not having a gun pointed at my head. _Of course not_."

Evelyn smiled and squeezed her daughter's hand. "I'm going to say goodbye to my father. You can come with me if you want."

"... _Fashion._"

"What?"

Felicity shrugged. "We've both always liked fashion."

"Yeah... Perhaps," her mother smiled. They both knew it wasn't enough even by a long shot. There was still a lot of murky water between them, but it counted for something. After everything they'd been through tonight, it was the only thing left to do.

* * *

Oliver stepped into the hotel bar on stiff legs and made his way over to his seated friend by the counter. "Hey…"

Diggle glanced back as he sipped from his scotch. "Hey. Did you get her text? I tried calling her but she won't pick up. Figure she'll come to us when she wants to talk about it."

"Maybe," Oliver agreed in a short tone as he sank onto the high chair beside the other man and leaned his elbows against the counter. "I checked with the reception as I came down, she's not back yet… I feel like we should have been there with her at the hospital."

"She asked us to stay here."

"I know, but… I don't know. I feel _useless_ here."

John nodded as he threw the younger an understanding look. "Nothing like chasing bad guys in a green hood, is it? Some foes you just can't fight, Oliver."

"Don't I know it…" Oliver muttered as he ordered a scotch for himself and ran a weary hand across his stubbled jaw. "… What about you, Dig? Help me keep my mind off of it."

"It's a girl."

Oliver did a double-take and a faint smile found its way onto his features as some tension evaporated, "You mean…?"

"A baby girl. Lyla caved and couldn't wait for the delivery to learn the sex of the baby," John grinned. "_…A girl_."

Oliver's smile grew as he saw his friend's contentment and patted his shoulder. "I'm happy for you, man."

"Me too," Diggle agreed and eyed his friend. He cleared his throat slowly and tested the waters for another topic he knew they needed to discuss. "_So_… You're training Laurel."

Oliver grimaced. It had been over a week since the events with Helena, and there had been some adaptions for all of them to get used to since then. Deciding to wade in the shallower water, the man pointed out, "You don't agree with the decision."

John shrugged. "Doesn't matter what I think."

"It matters to me."

"I leave town for a week and everything is turned on its head. I wonder what'll happen when I go on paternity leave…!" Diggle snorted as he sipped from his scotch and ignored his friend as the latter rolled his eyes inconspicuously.

"… _Dig_," Oliver breathed in an unamused voice.

"Alright, alright… You want to know what I think?"

"You've never held back so far, why stop now?" the younger man teased warmly.

"I don't think she's earned a spot on the team."

"_No_…" Oliver agreed with his common mimicry and an amused facial expression. He sighed as he decided to open up. He could use a friendly ear to listen about this. "If she's ever going to be on the team, she'll have to work just as hard as everyone else. And I have a feeling it will be harder for her to learn self-restraint. She's very stubborn, Dig, she always was."

"...Felicity may have given her the benefit of a doubt, but Roy doesn't seem to trust her after what happened with Helena. What about you, Oliver?"

The man hesitated, but admitted, "… I'm not saying I agree with her decision, but I guess I see where it came from. She made a bad call for a good cause. She did what she thought was right to stop Helena and Bauer. Who am I to judge her?"

Diggle wasn't as easily swayed. "She chose Helena's path, Oliver."

"No. She didn't. Laurel was working against her all along. She had to play a part... Because I gave her no other option."

"Her decision does not reflect yours, Oliver. She had other options; she _chose_ not to see them," John's voice carried strong through the air as he decided to speak up. "... I think she's not the same woman you were together with all those years ago, and I think you keep forgetting that. I once told you how I felt you always chose Laurel over everyone else… I don't believe you're that man anymore, Oliver."

Oliver frowned as he deflected, "What do you mean?"

"That things are different, and you're afraid to embrace the changes..." Dig suggested and let the words sink in before he continued, "You know what I think the two of you need? _Closure_. But maybe I'm wrong, maybe you two deserve each other. Or maybe you deserve someone better suited for you."

"Because of the life that I lead I can't be with anyone—"

"I've heard that excuse before, man."

Oliver sighed. "It's not an excuse, Diggle."

"It's _your_ life, Oliver… You only get one chance. Maybe it's time to ask yourself what you really want? _Who _do you really want to be with?"

"It doesn't matter what I want. That's the whole point," Oliver muttered as he downed the last of his drink. He cleared his throat as he jumped off the bar stool and jerked his thumb in the direction of the reception. "I'll go see if Felicity's back yet."

John nodded slowly as he watched his friend's retreating back. "… Do that."

* * *

Oliver knocked carefully as he opened the pale door to Felicity's hotel room and stepped inside. The small chamber was silent as he stepped further inside.

"Felicity?"

"Down here," her familiar voice called and he saw a slender hand peek up from behind the wide bed.

He frowned as he walked towards her. His gaze traveled down to the empty ice cream carton on the covers and he eyed the label. "_Divine chocolate fudge_?"

"They were out of mint chip…" came the sullen explanation.

Oliver smiled as he put the item back down and moved around the bigger furniture. Felicity lay beside the bed, with her legs bent, knees pointing skyward, and her shins pressed against the side of the bed. Her face was streaked with mascara and tears, but she made no attempt at hiding any of it as he locked gazes with her. She looked like she'd been through hell and back again, a lost wanderer on the road of life, and it was a look Oliver knew only too well. She waved sheepishly as he remained silent.

With a deep sigh, he unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down on the floor beside her. She eyed him in confusion.

"You'll wrinkle your suit!" she protested as he shifted to lie down.

"I don't care about my suit, Felicity…" he assured her in a light tone as he lay down shoulder to shoulder with her and put his feet up on the bed (there wasn't enough space for him to fit beside her any other way), mirroring her position as good as he could.

"You should, it's the best one you have left these days!" she argued feebly.

"It's _fine,_" he promised and turned to look at her. Whatever argument she had to offer fell away as she met his gaze and she simply nodded. Oliver swallowed past his own pain at seeing her like this and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

She snorted quite unladylike. "I don't have any words to say, Oliver. I know that must sound weird coming from _my_ mouth, but I…"

"I get it."

"You do? Could you explain it to me? Cause my MIT-degree isn't helping me right now," she muttered and shifted to sit up. Oliver followed her quietly and leaned back against the wall beside her as she continued to ramble, "He's _always_ been there for me. I don't know who I am without him. I mean… _I do_, but_ I don't_."

"Well…" Oliver searched for any words of comfort that might actually help. "I know who you are, Felicity Megan Smoak. You're very intelligent and head-strong... You won't let me get away with a bad call and always keeps me in check. You're the best partner I could have asked for, and one of my best friends… if not _the _best one."

She dried a stray tear with the back of her hand and sniffled. "… Yeah?"

"_Yeah_..." he grinned as his eyes wandered across her saddened features. "Do you remember when you told me that I honor the dead by fighting? You were right. And I think that's what you can do now. You're going to go on with life because that's what your grandfather would have wanted for you. Add him to the list of people we do this for, whom we honor by fighting. _Live_, Felicity. _Fight_."

"… What if I can't?"

"Then you take all the time you need to return to form. I'll be here beside you," he said with as much conviction as he could muster. She'd never let him fall thus far, and he'd be damned if he ever let her fall either.

Felicity watched him in silence and his words had obviously hit home, like most of his arrows in the deep of night. His gentle smile grew as he held her gaze. He knew the second something shifted in the air, because he was suddenly very aware of how close they were sitting, shoulders barely grazing each other, and how wrong it was for him to take notice. They'd just lived through a failed robbery and her grandfather's sudden death. This was neither the time nor the place to even encourage the thought. Not to mention all the other obstacles between them.

_Not like this_, he thought and lowered his gaze. He forced his voice to remain curious and carefree, "How's eh… the cop? What was his name again?"

"Richard. _Dick_," Felicity breathed and the moment was gone. She cleared her throat as if remembering herself and nodded. "He's good. We're good. It's only been a month; it's too early to tell if we could… And there's still the whole problem of not being able to tell him the truth about what I do, but I _won't_ risk him getting struck by lightning… and… I'm rambling."

He smiled genuinely as his gaze rose to meet hers once more. "I'm happy you've found someone, Felicity."

Her eyes held his across the divide and the sparkle in her cobalt eyes was heartfelt, too, as she held his gaze captive. She returned his smile in the end, "… Me, too."

A shrill sound interrupted them and both jumped slightly at the ringing phone. Felicity turned to the nightstand and squinted down at the Caller-ID. "Speak of the devil. It's Dick."

"He's probably worried about you," Oliver rose from the floor in a fluid motion and nodded towards the exit. "I'll leave you to it, but remember... Both Diggle and I are just down the hall if you need us. We'll always be here."

Felicity dried the last of her tears and smiled up at him. "And I'll never forget."

Oliver's grin was somewhat stiff as he spun around and walked back towards the door. He was outside with his hand on the doorknob when he heard her answer the phone. He closed his eyes tight as he repressed all feelings for a moment. His heart constricted inside his chest as he forced himself to ignore the familiar tug and shut the door behind him. He turned and walked towards his own room without looking back.

* * *

_Episode 5 to come!_

_Preview for next episode: Nightwing returns and as his identity is revealed, Team Arrow have to face the fall-out._


	5. Nightwing

_A/N: Had a blast writing this for obvious reasons! I would also like to say a thank you to your fantastic support in the reviews and interesting arguments regarding different topics! It's always such a treat to see one of your reviews._

_Synopsis: Nightwing makes a return in Starling City's hectic nightlife, and his real identity is revealed to Team Arrow in the process. The big news comes as a surprise and they must all deal with the fallout that could change much in all their lives. Meanwhile, Jane has an offer regarding Oliver's role in Queen Consolidated._

_I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy! _

* * *

**3x05: Nightwing**

Felicity wrung her hands as she settled into Dick's comfortable sofa. Her blonde waves cushioned her head as she leaned against the backrest and let herself enjoy a moment of silence and comfort after a long evening of talking.

She distantly heard Dick say goodnight to their dinner company by the front door. It had been their first couples' dinner with two close friends of Dick's that he knew from the police force. Overall, Felicity would grade the evening as pretty successful, but her heart hadn't been entirely in it. She'd been back a handful of days since her grandfather's funeral in Vegas and life was no less hectic than before.

As far as work went, Amanda Waller had taken a particular interest in a case she wanted to debrief Team Arrow about later that same evening. Felicity knew she ought to have prepared herself more for that, but had ended up prioritizing this dinner instead.

Because more than anything right now, her boyfriend kept overshadowing the rest of her troubles. _Boyfriend..._The word still tasted a bit funnily, even in her thoughts alone. She'd never really had a proper boyfriend in the past. She really liked Dick and he was good for her in so many ways. Still, to be in a relationship was brand new and at times difficult, and things weren't exactly made easier by the heavy secret she carried locked inside her guarded heart. And _that _was the very core of the problem.

"Earth to Felicity Smoak," Dick called from the open doorway and the blonde jumped in her seat. The man flashed her a crooked grin as he stepped into the living room and sat down beside her. His arm landed behind her head as he leaned closer, his side gently pressing against hers. "You were far away just now…. Everything okay? Were you thinking about your grandfather?"

"Eh, no…" Felicity smiled timidly. "Just… thinking about the dinner party tonight. It was nice meeting Laura and Phil. They seemed pretty normal. Nice."

Dick's eyes sparkled in the lit candles he'd placed here and there on the open surfaces in the room. "You said that once already."

The woman grimaced as she fully turned to face him and felt his proximity almost intoxicate her. She stuttered, "I-I'm _really_ sorry I said that joke about toupees. I didn't even consider that Phil was sitting across from me with his own horrendous toupee askew. I just wanted to make a good, first impression and be naturally funny, but that was just a natural _disaster_. I-"

"Felicity…" the man breathed as he tugged her closer to his side. She stopped babbling at once. Her eyes darted up to meet his and his piercing gaze held both worry and affection as he pointed out, "You're doing that talking thing."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"Not at all. Just want to make sure you're doing alright before I let you continue."

"I'm fine. It's just…" she hesitated on the edge of a hurdle she'd never leaped across and decided to throw herself over it. "We've been going out for almost two months now. And, I've never had a relationship last beyond that. I think we need to talk. _The _talk, I mean."

Felicity could literally feel his strong, impressive muscles tense where his side touched hers. Dick seemed frozen in trepidation and his voice held a weary edge, "You're saying we're over?"

"No!" she reassured hurriedly. "I'm saying I don't want us to be over… I _like you_-like you. A lot. More than most other guys I've dated in the past. Not that there's been too many of them, or anything. I don't want you to think… A _regular_ amount of guys. Or fewer, perhaps... I don't really know what counts as a regular amount."

The smile returned to the man's face as he relaxed back against her. Felicity, too, shared his relief. She much preferred him like this. Warm and relaxed. It was a pleasant change from other broodier people she hung around. In the glow of the candles, she noticed how the relaxation brought out the best in his sharp features. Dick was a handsome man, she's always thought so. Still, she felt like a child as he flashed her a confident smile laced with so much affection.

"So you're essentially saying you like me?"

"In my own roundabout way, yes."

His hand gently stroked a lock of hair from her cheek and his touch lingered there for another second. "And don't want to break up?"

"No!"

"… Then why do we need to have the talk?"

Felicity shrugged as she pondered his question. "I wanted to warn you that I'm not good with this…?"

"You're good at talking."

"But not good at relationships," she pointed out without missing a beat. "I feel like I should be honest with you."

"You're not being honest?" Dick asked and his eyes danced with laughter. "Hmm, let me guess… A husband and four kids in Canada? _A sex change_?!"

She swatted at his arm as he made a ridiculous face. Her laughter rang clear in the air as he leaned down to steal a kiss. His lips brushed against hers with such utter affection it nearly caught her off-guard and she lost herself to the sensation. She particularly liked the butterflies in her stomach that made for a pleasant tingle.

Before long, he pulled back and whispered, "Whatever it is… I'm not going to rush you, Felicity. You can tell me in your own time."

"I can't, though," she muttered and shook her head when words failed her. She'd practically said too much already about her secret life, and this was a line in the sand she couldn't cross. "It's complicated."

Dick nodded. "It always is."

"... And I'm afraid I have to go," she said as she glanced down at her watch and leisurely pulled herself up from the couch. She hated to leave like this, but Amanda Waller woulndn't be very happy if she was late. Not that much seemed to make her happy, but some things made her especially _un_happy.

Her boyfriend held onto her hand and rose along with her. "Must you?"

"You know I have that meeting tonight."

"Ah, yes…" Dick nodded slowly as he followed her into the hallway. "The meeting you can't tell me anything about either?"

"That's the IT business for you," she half-lied and flashed him a bright grin. She hated lying to him, but this wasn't optional. She pecked his cheek as she shrugged on her jacket. "What can I say? Even we nerds have strict confidential contracts."

* * *

"Doctor _Death_?" Felicity moaned as she eyed the file in her hand. "Why can it never be Doctor Cuddles or even Strangelove? …Well, maybe _not_ Dr Strangelove."

Her eyes rose to her company in the small conference room at the A.R.G.U.S HQ. Oliver and Dig sat beside her on the ergonomic, Danish chairs that made her butt itch. She'd made Oliver promise never to purchase anything of the sort to their lair. She shuffled in her seat as she turned her eyes to Amanda Waller's steady frame. The stern woman stood poised before them, with her head held high as usual. The monitor on the wall behind their boss showed a photography of a man in his fifties. His hair was thin, but quite flattering despite of it. His pale eyes were normal, and didn't seem to echo well with his colorful moniker. His nose was long and narrow, while his cheekbones were quite sharp despite his age.

"His full name, Agent Smoak," the Wall began in her smooth, yet roughly impassive, voice, "is Seth Hellfern."

"Who is he?" Oliver asked as he looked up from his own file. "What's his relevance to A.R.G.U.S?"

"Dr Hellfern used to work as a scientist in Gotham City over six years ago," Amanda explained. "He used his intelligence and advanced skills with different chemical compounds to create a drug with which he aimed to blackmail the Gotham City elite for funding."

"Why?"

"His son was dying of a rare muscle disease. He needed funding to experiment in hope of finding a cure. Before he could put his scheme into action, he had an accident."

"Accident?" it was John's voice that interrupted this time.

Amanda changed the photo on the screen behind her to a more recent shot of the same man. This time he was disfigured; the right side of his face badly burned and covered with old scar tissue that greatly distorted all his previous features.

"His lab blew up," the Wall explained simply without any emotion. "Dr Hellfern was present in the lab when it exploded and some of the chemicals hit his body, leaving him disfigured on the outside but they also affected his mind. He went into a coma for a brief period, and while he was in the hospital; his son passed away. When he came to, the chemicals and his sudden loss had changed his mind forever. He became a-"

"_Supervillain_?" Felicity supplied.

Amanda eyed the younger woman but eventually gave her a slight nod as if she could accept that term. "When he'd recovered from his injuries, he left Gotham never to return and settled here in Starling. He became obsessed with the idea of controlling someone's mind like a toy soldier. While he was doing experiments in his laboratory, the police caught him. He was sentenced and placed in Iron Heights."

"Don't tell me..." the blonde closed her eyes tight. "He's one of the prisoners who managed to escape last month in the mayhem?"

"His absence wasn't documented, but A.R.G.U.S recently received word of Doctor Death's escape. It appears he may have been the cause for the heist against the prison."

Felicity bit her bottom lip as she processed the news and follower the other woman's line of thinking. "The hackers. They must have altered the records. Made Doctor Death disappear entirely from Iron Heights data base? I'm assuming he's the only one missing from the data base?"

"Correct," Waller inclined her head briskly. "I let my team follow your instructions after you returned from Las Vegas. They tracked the users and compared their digital identity with the robbers you encountered in Las Vegas. It appears they were indeed the same hackers: The Barnes' twins."

"Well, the twins won't be giving us a hard time again, at least," Diggle sighed from his seat. "One dead, one imprisoned. Of course, he could lead us to whomever hired them to break into Iron Heights in the first place."

"We tried. The brother in prison refuses to talk," Amanda clarified. "There are other methods to try, of course."

"_How_?" Oliver interrupted with a curious tone and everyone turned to him. "You said Dr Hellfern wanted to control people here in Starling; _how_?"

"It's mainly uncertain. He was arrested while still experimenting on the drug in question and everything destroyed as the police took him in. The drug remained unfinished and the chemical compounds not identified."

"You're suspecting he's back in the game, doing more experiments?" Oliver asked. "That it was the very reason he was taken out of Iron Heights?"

"He's been spotted in the area around the secluded North Street. Before he was caught by the police, we suspected he had a secret laboratory in that neighborhood," Waller explained and squared her shoulders as she gazed at her employees. "I need the three of you to head to the location tomorrow night and bring Doctor Death here before he can create the dangerous drug. I think we'd all prefer to avoid another Mirakuru-incident."

* * *

"Tonight was good. It was nice to see you again, man! I feel like I hardly see you anymore these days," Sin breathed as she stepped onto the dark streets and felt the chill of the dark night creep inside her leather jacket. She glanced back over her shoulder as her friend stepped onto the curb next to her. "I mean, between your job in the bar and whatever else you're still refusing to tell me… You're a man with a very busy calendar."

Roy chuckled as he shrugged on his own, worn jacket and nodded to the guard at the entrance. After everything with the Mirakuru and Thea leaving Starling, he'd longed for some normalcy again. He didn't want to trade his night-time activities for anything, but his personal life was a different matter entirely. He'd gotten as a busboy at the night club Poison, which gave him enough money to pay his rent and still gave him time to don the mask in the dead of night afterwards. All in all, he felt pretty content with his life nowadays.

"What can I say," he joked, "I'm a popular guy."

"You haven't heard from Thea, have you?" Sin asked and her voice was hesitant as if walking on pins and needles.

"Not since she left," came the gruff reply as Roy looked ahead into night as they walked side by side down the street.

The young woman grimaced. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to step on any toes… I just kind of miss the lanky chick, you know?"

Roy listened with one ear as they stepped past a group of people and his eyes caught sight of a familiar shape in an alley further ahead. The body stepped out of sight almost immediately, and Roy hesitated on the curb.

"Abercrombie? _Hello_…? Is this thing on?" Sin asked as she tapped the side of his head.

"Eh, what? Sorry… I didn't mean to space out like that."

The young woman frowned and something terrified flashed past in her big eyes. "Are you okay? This isn't like some late side-effect to your... _flu-shot_?"

"No, no! I'm fine," Roy swiftly reassured and suppressed the memories of his Mirakuru-enhanced days. He glanced back towards the alley and explained himself, "I just remembered that I need to do something before going home. But you're right; it _was_ fun tonight. We should do something soon again. Call me?"

"…Sure thing, Abercrombie."

He hugged his short friend and rushed across the street. He glanced back and saw Sin walk in the opposite direction. He released a breath. Positive neither Sin nor anyone else was paying him attention, he slipped unnoticed into the dark alley.

The sound of his shoes against the ground echoed in the narrow alleyway as he walked past a few dumpsters. The smell of garbage invaded his nose, but he easily tuned the notion out of his head. His eyes scanned the deep shadows until he caught sight of the tall figure further into the alleyway.

The muscular man clad in a simple, black costume stepped out of the shadows and met him half-way. Though part of the man's face was hidden behind the domino mask, Roy recognized the wry grin that spread on his full lips.

"Did I startle you?" Nightwing asked in a teasing tone.

"Kind of," the younger man agreed, not in the mood for brotherly teasing at the moment. "It's been awhile, you know."

The masked vigilante shrugged his broad, muscular shoulders as he read his friend's body language. Accepting of the more honest approach, the man admitted in a clear voice, "I've been busy."

"Blüdhaven?"

Nightwing nodded. "The mob's been scattered. Blüdhaven is clean again."

"And Starling?"

"There's still a lot of work here," the other man shook his head and disappointment flashed in his dark eyes. "Which is why I came to you. I could need your help with something. It's a small favor, but still."

Roy shuffled from his feet as he recognized the pleading tone to his friend's voice and carefully pondered what went unsaid thus far. "You mean… my curricular activities. My team."

Nightwing inclined his head sharply. "Do you know anything about Doctor Death?"

"Eh, except for it not sounding like a doctor I'd like to treat any illness of mine? _No_."

"This mission may be related to A.R.G.U.S," the vigilante clarified.

Roy shrugged his shoulders as he held his friend's gaze. "You know I don't work for them."

"But your teammates are working his case."

"Doesn't mean I have the same information as they do, you know that…" Roy explained pointedly. He paused to consider his options. It was true, he hadn't talked to Nightwing - with or without normal clothing - in a while and he'd preferred their meeting to be between old friends instead of potential partners. Still, he also knew the man well enough to know there were never any ulterior motives behind his actions, and that he wouldn't have come to him with this if it couldn't be potentially life changing. "You've never asked about our missions before. A.R.G.U.S or otherwise. Why bother now?"

"I can't say, Roy."

"_Right_. Well, I _hate_ lying to my team."

Nightwing exhaled slowly and nodded his head. Understanding flashed by in his eyes like a clear day on the sea, and he said, "I never meant for you to protect my lie like this, Roy."

"It's cool, man…" the younger man reassured. "We all have secrets. Sometimes you need someone to share them with."

Reading between the lines, the masked vigilante tilted his head to the side. In the light from a nearby lamppost, Roy could see his eyes squint with intellect and curiosity. "You want me to tell your team the truth?"

"I think _you_ want to… _Nightwing_."

"Point taken," the other man said in an amused tone that still carried a darker undertone which he could not disguise.

Roy sighed slowly as he held his friend's gaze. "I'm sorry, I can't help you with this."

"Then I'll have to find out by myself," Nightwing said and bowed his head low in acceptance of the momentary defeat.

* * *

Early next morning, Oliver stepped out of the familiar elevator with doors the color of molted amber. He glanced to the right, in the direction of his and Felicity's old offices. He saw an unfamiliar woman sitting in the office straight ahead, busily typing on her keyboard. He exhaled deeply and turned to the left instead. He walked down the corridor, which felt like the Green mile this day, and turned to the office on the right. He knocked on the open glass door and walked into the small empty office. No executive assistant to meet him, he noticed. That was somewhat unexpected.

"Ollie!" he glanced to the side and saw Jane open the glass door to her wider, adjacent office. She wore a pale, figure hugging dress and her hair loose as she smiled up at him. "Please step on in."

He followed her beckoning call and stepped into her office. He'd been in this particular room only a handful of times in the past and his eyes darted across the room. It was mainly the same as his old office, except the view out of the panorama windows faced the East instead of the West.

"CFO…" he mused and his gaze followed Jane as she stepped around the wide desk and she nodded for him to join her.

"I know," the Brit grimaced wearily. "It's not quite the title we were hoping for, but the board wouldn't surrender the CEO post to me. _Not yet._ Simon Cross is too influential over the board members at present time. In fact… They voted him full CEO. I voted in his favor, too."

"Why?" Oliver frowned as he took a seat.

Jane hesitated. A shadow crossed her fair features as she admitted, "It was a trade of sorts. Simon Cross won the CEO title… in exchange for you gaining one of the empty seats of the board. If you want it."

Stunned into silence, Oliver blinked and rose from the chair. He walked over to the windows and looked outside. One step forward, two steps back, it seemed. The CEO post would have given him indirect control of his company while he saved up for the purchase. Still, it wasn't an entire loss. Jane's suggestion had come out of the blue, and he wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it. While he hadn't truly believed they'd win the CEO-post so soon, he hadn't expected direct influence on the board either. A seat on the board wouldn't afford him much power in the grand scheme of things, but it was a foot in through the door from which he could reclaim the rest.

"Being on the board won't be enough," Jane whispered as Oliver's gaze steadfastly looked out the window. "We both know that. You've always been a public figure, Ollie. If you want to get QC back… you have to be one again. With all the pressure, scrutiny and stress that comes with it… I only advice you to take that into consideration. The press will go wild when they learn you're back on the board. Think about it. I want your answer by the end of the week, if you don't mind."

Oliver glanced back over his shoulder and saw her hesitate. "Is there more?"

"I have one more piece of advice," her voice was firm and warm at once, and reminded him more than a little about his mother. Her tense posture was goal-driven yet held a certain warmth as she said, "You'll need all the help you can get. With the press and the board. A public work on your resumé could be the first step for you. I know you don't actually work with investments, as Walter claims you do."

Not entirely surprised, Oliver turned to face the young blonde. "You checked up on me?"

"I was asked to help recover a multi-billion company to a playboy billionaire son with more than a few questionably drunken years and who practically handed off the company to begin with due to a lack of commitment and faulty taste in women."

"… Guess I'm not the only one with trust issues, Killer."

Jane shook her head. "I don't need to know what you do right now. You don't have to confide in me, Ollie... All that matters is that I believe you can do this, despite popular opinion. But the change has to start with you. If you don't take this seriously, if this is all about stroking your male ego… Please tell me now. If you won't actually commit to your family's business if you don't understand what it will take… why should I help you?"

* * *

That night Oliver suited up in his green costume and brought Felicity and Diggle with him to apprehend Doctor Death, or at the very least find evidence that could lead A.R.G.U.S to his whereabouts. Amanda Waller had sent them to a remote location in the Northern corner of Starling City. The modern building in question looked seemingly forgotten from the outside, but Felicity soon hacked into the security system and noticed it was running on high alert. From her computer, she hacked into the security cameras and informed the guys that the coast was clear. There was no sight of Seth Hellfern, but Oliver figured there was a chance they could still find evidence to lead them forward unto dawn.

Felicity remained in the front seat of the van, with her laptop resting across her knees, as Oliver advanced towards the building from the front and Diggle made his way round back. The woman easily shut down the security system from her device and gave them the go-ahead to enter. She watched the camera feed as her friends crept towards the heart of the building, through long shadows and mysterious corridors that seemed hellbent on swallowing them whole.

"_Wait_," Felicity breathed as something caught her eye. Both Oliver and Diggle froze in their respective positions on the screen before her. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she enhanced the image. She squinted her eyes at the shadows. Something was moving - moving _very_ _fast_ at that. "… Someone's coming!" she watched as several people in combat uniform rushed into frame and through the corridors in different directions; some straight towards the hooded vigilante and some towards John. "I count at least eight armed men headed for you both. Get out of there!"

"Any sight of Doctor Death?" Oliver's voice was strained but alert in her ear as she saw him pull out an arrow from his quiver.

"No," she breathed and felt her heart start to pound in her chest as the armed men came closer to her guys. "I don't see him on any camera feed. Maybe he's not there. Maybe this is all a trap to get to you, Oliver. Please, get out. They're blocking your exits West and East of you. There's a narrow hall-"

Before she could finish her sentence, movement from the right side of her car startled her. She turned her head in the direction and watched one of the black gates open and a van drive out of a garage. She'd been positive this was a mainly deserted area with nothing but storage units, but this was turning out to be quite the crowded field.

"Oh no..."

"What is it?" Oliver growled. The blonde glanced down to her screens and watched as he fired an arrow towards his opponents and prepared for hand to hand combat.

The other, big van stormed towards her like a bull towards a matador. It slammed into the side of her car and rocked the bulky vehicle. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she clasped onto the steering wheel tightly. "They're charging at me!"

"Felicity; _go_!" Diggle shouted, and his voice was somewhat out of breath as he fought his own enemies.

She watched the other car back up for another tackle and stuttered, "B-but what abou-"

"Go! We'll be fine! Drive!"

The blonde didn't wait further instructions as she put the car in reverse and sped off. Her mind remained with her teammates momentarily, before the other car bumped into her from behind. She grunted in panic as she willed her car to go faster, like a wild horse across a plain. The other van was close behind and she wouldn't be able to outrun it with speed alone.

While she pondered a plan of action, the other van swerved up beside her and kept a steady pace with her fast vehicle. The side door to the other van suddenly opened to reveal three masked attackers. She heard a metallic clang from above and saw a wire stretched between the cars. As panic rose inside her chest, Felicity tried to swerve out of the way, but the road was too narrow and there was nowhere to go right here. She watched as the three attackers, one by one, used the wire to climb onto her van.

She turned the steering wheel madly back and forth so that the car could shake unsteadily, alike a wet dog trying to shake off unwanted drops of water. She glanced into the side-view mirror and saw the black-dressed guys still holding onto the side of her car.

As the highway broadened to a more open landscape only a few miles out of the city center, Felicity changed her tactic, and instead swerved back towards the other van. To avoid collision, the second van turned and rammed the railing in the middle of the road. The woman sighed in relief as she saw that it meant she'd conquered at least one foe for now.

Before she could come up with another idea to shake off the remaining three; a loud thud on top of her van startled her. She heard one of the attackers yelp and glanced back to see him rolling down the side of the road as she sped onward into the dead of night. As she glanced back once more, she noticed that the other two had climbed atop of the van and she heard the sound of a fight from above as the men stepped around on the metal. She figured Oliver had somehow caught up to them and she exhaled in relief.

Something small suddenly pierced the roof atop the passenger seat and Felicity shrieked. She looked up at the small object and thought it looked like a black, oddly sized knife of sorts. Nothing more happened with it, and she tried to calm her nerves back to normal under the circumstances.

"Now!" A man's voice cried from atop the roof.

"What?" she called back.

"_Stop! Now!_"

She stomped down hard on the brakes. The wheels screeched against the asphalt and she held on tight to keep in control. The sudden halt sent two figures flying forwards over the hood of the car, while a third shape – the one who clung on to the black knife that stuck through the roof – landed hard on the windshield. Felicity's eyes widened and she practically stopped breathing as she noticed it was a masked vigilante – but it wasn't Oliver Queen. The dark-haired man breathed heavily as he slid off the hood of the car and and grunted in pain. He glanced at the two attackers on the road ahead who were slowly attempting to stand up after their hard fall. As Nightwing turned back, his eyes met Felicity's through the windshield.

The woman blinked and inclined her head to the passenger door. "Get in!"

The masked man didn't ask or say a word as he climbed into the seat next to her and watched as she turned the car back around and drove away from the attackers in high speed.

Felicity's mind reeled a mile a minute as she tried to focus. She could hardly make sense of what had just happened, let alone understand why Nightwing had intervened. That he'd accepted her invitation and entered the car was even more surprising and she wasn't sure what to make of any of it.

Only thing she felt fairly certain about, was that Waller had unwittingly led them into a trap, and could only hope Oliver and Diggle were safe.

"Felicity?" John spoke over the comm links just then and some of her anxiety evaporated at the sound of his voice. "Are you okay, Felicity?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine… You?" she breathed in return.

Diggle assured her that both he and Oliver had gotten out of the building without too much harm and that they were awaiting her at the pre-decided pick up location. Felicity sank back in her seat and relaxed at hearing the good news.

"I'll come for you at once," she promised and turned off her microphone as she glanced sideways at the masked stranger. His intense gaze was already resting on her face, something unreadable seemed to brew just beneath the surface. Perhaps he was regretting entering the car with her, after all.

Felicity focused on the road as she tried to relieve the tension, "When I moved away from home years ago, my mother told me never to pick up strangers on the side of the road. I'm not sure how she'd feel about _masked vigilantes_ on the side of the road… Not sure how _I_ feel about it. Do you want me to… drop you off somewhere? I mean, thank you for saving my life. I should have led with that. I-"

"… Felicity," the man's tone was soft and beckoning. There was something familiar about it and it drew her attention like a moth to a flame.

She swallowed tensely as her eyes darted back to meet his. "How do you know my name?"

* * *

Oliver and Diggle stepped out of their hideout in the shadows as they saw the van enter the deserted alley in the middle of nowhere. Both of them were marveled to see the outward damage to the car. There more than one bump on the sides and the hood, but all in all it seemed mainly intact and the damage superficial.

As the blonde woman stepped out of the car, both guys drew a sigh of relief. She was unharmed, despite the car's appearances, but she looked paler than normal nonetheless.

Oliver opened his mouth to speak when the door to the passenger seat suddenly opened and another figure stepped into the night air.

The masked man was tall and held himself stoically as he stood by the side of the car. The blue bat across the chest of his costume was unmistakable, but his presence remained a mystery.

Felicity slowly stepped towards her teammates as her gaze flickered back to the stranger. "Oliver, John… This is Nightwing."

At being introduced, the dark-haired man stepped up next to the woman and offered the others a slight grin, "Real name's Richard Grayson."

Recognizing the name, the guys heads whipped back to their teammate. Felicity looked shell-shocked as she simply nodded. "…My boyfriend."

* * *

To avoid a possible scene and unwanted eyes to witness, Oliver suggested they all return to the lair to discuss this unexpected turn of events.

When they stepped down into the foundry, Roy was busy beating the crap out of a punching bag and Laurel was doing sit-ups on the floor further away. Both Roy and Laurel stopped what they were doing as the others entered under mute silence and tension descended over their little group.

"Hey…" Roy greeted as he stepped towards the open area and the others. "How did it go?"

Felicity's eyes were unfocused and refused to meet his as she stepped past them and towards her workstation. "It was a ruse. Waller's source evidently had the wrong information. Someone wanted to kill the Arrow. Doctor Death wasn't there. Neither was the laboratory."

Laurel hesitantly joined them and her eyes searched Oliver's for answers not given. He merely shook his head. Instead, her inquisitive gaze flew up to meet Dick's. He'd removed his mask, but she still recognized him easily enough. "... You're Nightwing."

"He is," Felicity once more spoke up before anyone else could get a chance. The blonde woman was evidently worked up and the others remained behind as she cleared the air to some extent. "He saved me. Tonight. He… He's my boyfriend. I didn't know he was. But apparently he is. Apparently Dick… is Nightwing."

Roy's gaze wandered back up to the dark-haired man. He offered a meek smile and gently asked, "You told her, huh? Did you tell her everything?"

The blonde whipped around in the younger's man's direction and her long ponytail grazed her shoulders as she turned her questions on her friend, "I'm sorry… You knew?"

"Yeah… I…" Roy faltered with an apologetic grimace. "I met Dick in Blüdhaven _years_ ago. Before all of this with the Arrow. It was back when I was a rebellious kid trying to escape a bad childhood. Dick was working as a cop, and instead of putting me in juvie, he helped me find some balance."

Oliver took a step towards his protégé and squared his shoulders tensely. "You knew all along who he was?"

The younger man shook his head and his eyes pleaded for understanding. "I didn't know he donned a mask back then. I swear!"

Oliver shook his head as if the answer was insufficient. There were still too many blanks that needed to be filled and he asked, "Did you tell him my secret?"

Dick spoke up then and everyone turned in his direction, "Roy's telling the truth. He didn't know who I was back then. When I came to Starling after Slade Wilson, I found out the truth about Roy's secret persona and got in touch. He didn't tell me anything about any of you. He refused. I found out all of that on my own. To be fair, you left a clear path to follow, man. You haven't exactly kept a good secret if you know where to look for clues. Roy being on your team was an unexpected bonus that I did benefit from, but he had nothing to do with this. I worked alone… and he was simply a friend."

Oliver raised his hands in apology and stood down. "I believe you. I didn't mean to point fingers, Roy. I'm simply trying to understand all of this."

"… You're not the only one," Felicity muttered from the other edge of the circle and ran a weary hand across the base of her neck.

Anguish flashed through Dick's eyes as he stepped towards the young woman. He kept his distance, as if wanting to accept whatever emotional outburst that might come after she'd processed the news. His voice was filled with honest emotions as he admitted, "...I've been meaning to introduce my true self for a while. I didn't like keeping my secret from you, Felicity. I knew you were the Arrow's partner-"

"_That's right_," Felicity interrupted and her eyes flew up to meet his for the first time since they'd entered the lair. Everyone seemed to take pause as they watched her process the news and her eyes cleared briefly. "The bomb in the toy store. You saw my face. You knew who I was… before I met you. I mean: _Dick_. Before I met Dick. _You_. I don't…"

Her words trailed off into the night and the lair fell silent and tense once more. The revelation of the truth seemed to weigh them all down like a heavy cloak as it surrounded them and kept them in place.

Hoping to relieve the apprehension somewhat, Laurel took a step forward and curiously asked, "We've met. Do you remember? When Helena Bertinelli and I went to the Flynn Bauer's safe house. You were there. You helped her."

At the suggestion, Felicity whipped her wide, blue eyes to her boyfriend's and something hurt flashed by in her deep orbs.

Dick grimaced, unwilling to agree to the DA's choice of words. "There's more to it than that. I _don't_ know Huntress or the woman behind the mask. I only went there that night to keep an eye on her. It was the second time I met her, the first was when I suggested we take Bauer down together. It's… a long story. Short version is that we both hate the mafia. I had been after Bauer for a while and when I found out she was going to take him out… I couldn't let her mess it up. Roy had previously given me some information about her situation, and I knew she was unsteady at best."

Oliver crossed his arms over his chest where he stood beside Diggle and glared across the space at their visitor. "Did your plans involve dropping more bodies?"

Dick seemed surprised at the question and his chocolate colored eyes danced with confusion as he shook his head. "Huntress was the only one who killed that night. I only take lives when necessity gives me no other option."

"Then necessity forces your hand a lot," Oliver pointed out dryly.

The dark-haired man shrugged. "It does, yeah… Look, our present tactics are different. Yes, I kill on occasion. Doesn't make me the enemy. We still fight the same bad guys. Besides, I know you used to drop bodies, too."

"I don't anymore."

"... Fine," Dick backed down. "I'm not looking for a fight between us. I want the opposite. I want to work together towards a common goal. I want to eradicate the mafia that's infested our country and the corrupt cops that make it impossible to get to them. Those are _m__y _main targets. I'm not asking you to accept me now… But I want you to know that I'm here to stay and fight for what I believe in. Preferably _with_ you."

"I have a question," Felicity's voice was softer and her barriers lowered as she took a step towards the visitor.

"Of course you do," Dick smiled.

Felicity licked her lips as she tried to form the right sentence. "How did you know about our mission tonight? I haven't said a word about it, and you can't have learned from our sources anyway because I haven't uploaded anything to our servers. Based on you appearing here and there during these past months and the… Helena business… You have access to A.R.G.U.S files, don't you?"

"I have my ways of finding out what I need."

"Hacker?"

"Occasionally," Dick drawled and his crooked grin widened. "I also have a special device with which I can tap into different communication devices. It's virtually untraceable."

Felicity slowly nodded. "_Impressed_."

"… I'm glad."

"But mainly confused," she concluded with a pointed glare. She released a heavy breath that carried with it some troubled emotion and she seemed lost in a desert as she gazed up at her boyfriend. "I... need some time to think. About all of this. I need some air."

Dick raised his hand and his soft smile bordered on sadness. "This is your safe haven, Felicity. I'll leave. Give you some time."

The team and Laurel watched as their visitor turned towards the exit and slowly climbed the steps out of sight. As soon as Dick was gone, the tension seemed to lessen by a fraction. Oliver and John exchanged a glance before they turned their worried eyes back to the blonde who, upon noticing, shook her head without uttering a word and walked out of the main area.

* * *

Next morning, Oliver found himself at the familiar police station without a solid battle plan in mind. He'd gone there simply because his heart had pleaded with him to do the right thing, and his mind was inclined to agree this once.

His eyes scanned across the numerous police officers and people in handcuffs as he searched for the man in question.

"_Oliver_?"

The young man turned as he recognized the confused drawl. Quentin Lance stepped towards him with a deep wrinkle between his thick eyebrows.

"Hello, Detective Lance," Oliver greeted with a warm grin.

"Are you here to see me?" the older man questioned with no room for small talk.

"Actually… I'm here for someone else," the younger man apologized as he nodded to the familiar figure by a desk in the back. "And I see him now."

Oliver excused himself as he made his way further into the station. He knew Dick had already sensed his presence because he'd seen the Dick's shoulders tense in the uniform. The man rose as Oliver came to hover beside his desk. Oliver hadn't noticed the other man was a couple of inches tall than him, and the realization only made him stand all the taller in his own plain jacket.

Amusement sparkled in the man's dark eyes as Dick asked, "You're not here to mark your territory or anything, are you?"

"Excuse me?"

The dark-haired man threw the other man a pointed look as he lowered his voice as to not be overheard in the hectic buzz of people, "You're here to tell me to stay away from her, aren't you?"

Oliver pondered a more tactical approach, but in the end decided to cut to the core of it. If Dick didn't mind, neither did he. "…You'll only endanger her if you stay together."

"Oliver, no offence, man…" Dick began and nodded for them both to head into a backroom for more privacy. "But you don't know me. You don't know what you're talking about."

"_Don't I_?" Oliver questioned gruffly as he followed the other man to the secluded corridor in the back. He shuffled from one foot to the other and met the other man's gaze head on. He decided to wait him out as he expected an explanation to come.

Dick opened his mouth to speak but his words seemed to get caught in his throat. He exhaled slowly and tried again, "…I agreed with your way of thinking once, man. That our line of business is... is too dangerous for others. That we end up risking the lives of those we hold dear if we tell them the truth, but that's not true. I can't speak for everyone, but it wasn't in my case, anyway. I... It didn't end well once long ago. I thought I was protecting someone I loved… and I didn't. I failed her. I _won't_ fail Felicity, Oliver. The whole reason why I opened up about who I really am was for _her_."

"You're not protecting her this way, Dick," Oliver disagreed and set his jaw. He knew it was too late to take back what had already been revealed, but could still not help but argue his point of view. "The truth is more dangerous than the white lies we tell to keep these people safe."

"No, Oliver," the dark-haired man shook his head in defeat. "I can't believe that. The only way to keep people safe is to be honest and open. If we continue to lie to one another… I'd lose her. I'd lose Felicity… and I don't want that. I know she's on your team and that you want to keep her safe, Oliver. But so do I. And now that she knows my secret, I can protect her. And she can protect me, in turn. I know we don't know a lot about each other and that you don't trust me right now. But that's not what's important here. She's what's important."

* * *

"Are you mad at him?"

"Hmm?" Felicity managed distractedly as she turned her gaze up to Laurel.

The other woman smiled kindly as she leaned back against Felicity's workstation and gently prodded, "That he lied to you. That he didn't tell you. I know we're not the best of friends, and I don't want to intrude. It's just… I can imagine it's a lot to take in, and Oliver did tell me you just lost your grandfather… It's a lot at once for _anyone_."

"_Oh_!" the blonde breathed and shook her head fervently.

She'd been so consumed by Dick's revelation the previous night, that she'd barely talked at all about it with the others. She'd been so busy working through things in her own head, that she hadn't fully realized she wasn't alone in the lair. Laurel had come to workout earlier during the afternoon, but this sudden interruption had thrown Felicity. Personal questions were uncommon between the two young women, though there had never been anything but kind words between them. She even considered Laurel a friend by now, but their relationship wasn't even remotely close to what she'd shared with Sara.

Still, the sentiment moved her and she honestly admitted, "Why would I be? It's not like he was the only one lying about a secret life. I understand why he did it… I was just caught by surprise. I love this life… but it was nice to know I had something of my own. A life outside of the team again. I wouldn't trade this life for anything, you know. _But_…"

Laurel nodded in understanding. "I get it. This life is extraordinary, though I've only had a small glimpse of it now when me and Oliver can work as business partners. Him on the streets, me in court... But I do understand it consumes a lot of your life. Both good and bad. Mainly good, of course. In a way I can't see myself going back to not knowing the truth again..." Laurel offered. "When I found out about Oliver's secret, I didn't know what to think. When I'd worked through the news, I realized how proud I was of him. Of the man I'd always seen in him, and the man he'd finally embraced in himself. I'm glad, Felicity, that he didn't do all of it alone. That he had you and John to support him. That he had Sara, too, even if that might sound strange coming from me of all people."

Felicity nodded leisurely as she let the words sink in. Her mind was still a hurricane of thought, but she felt more anchored against the strong wind today than the previous night. Still, there were issues to process that she could see no clear answer to. She offered up a smile which Laurel returned warmly.

They heard a throat clear behind them and both turned to see Diggle stand at the base of the steps, wearing casual clothes as usual these days. He looked at the Lance woman with a stoic gaze and patiently waited for her reaction.

Laurel's gaze wandered from John to Felicity and she nodded her head. "… I'll leave you two alone."

Without lingering, Laurel headed for the steps and was out of there before long. John slowly stepped towards his younger friend as Felicity sighed.

The blonde glanced up at her friend and felt some relief to have him present in this hour of need. She valued her friendship with Diggle just as much as her friendship with Oliver, and he was the only she could talk to about this who'd understand her to the core. She knew she wouldn't need much, because he already had a pretty good idea of her thoughts. Instead, she offered a meek, "I sure know how to pick the masked ones, don't I? Am I a vigilante groupie, Dig?"

"Barry, Dick… Oliver…" the man tested gently, and when she didn't object he offered her a supportive smile and concluded, "They're all good, strong men with the heart in the right place, Felicity. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Isn't there? I thought Dick was… normal," she confessed and hated how none of it seemed to make sense when she voiced it aloud. "I didn't realize how important that was to me before now when he isn't. But I like him, John. I _really_ like him…"

Diggle grinned wider as he nodded towards the steps and winked, "Then what are you still doing here, girl?"

* * *

"Oliver!" Jane's crisp accent was jovial as she held open the glass door for him and let him step into her office. "Have you met Simon Cross?"

The man standing opposite them in the modern office wore a classic, black suit and tie. His tanned face was clean-shaven and though he was in his mid-fifties, his smile took years off his rugged face. His eyes were clever like an owl's as he gazed at the new arrival and smiled.

Oliver managed a meek grin as he extended his hand for the other man. "Briefly in the past."

"Oliver Queen…" Simon drawled as he shook the offered hand and the sarcastic dismay did not go unnoticed. "I was just telling Jane here how I thought her suggestion was irrational and hasty. You back on the board? Clearly managing QC was not among your many talents. I imagine being free from this place has made you happier. That it's given you time to find more… suitable past-times. I haven't heard about any new model conquest of yours, but then again, maybe you've become better at avoiding the press over the years."

Oliver clenched his jaw as he tried to keep his smile polite to parry the low, verbal punches. He felt Jane's irritation practically exude from her body where she remained beside him, but she didn't say a word.

"I think you misjudge me, Simon," Oliver said at length.

"Then I must be misjudging your whole family, Oliver," Simon disagreed with a chuckle. "I mean… Your father lost the company first. Then your step-father, your mother and ultimately yourself. There's only… your sister left to try the helm, isn't there? Except she's not in town any longer, is she? Sounds like she's the smart one. The only one to see the limitations that come with the Queen legacy."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but QC lost its status as a Fortune 500-company under _your_ rule as acting CEO, didn't it?" Oliver retorted and saw Jane nod in affirmation beside him. "With you as full CEO, can the stock holders expect a further drop in value?"

Simon stretched tall against the accusation, but remained silent even as his eyes betrayed his furious heart.

Oliver took a step closer as his dark smile widened. "I have made mistakes in the past," he spoke slowly. "But I have learned from them. QC belongs in my family, and I'll do it right this time. I _will _win it back... and nothing will tear it from me when I've earned it."

The elder man held his gaze for a second longer, before he flashed him a frosty smile. Simon excused himself, stepped around Oliver and walked out of the office. All the tension left with him, and Jane laughed.

"Good work, Mr Queen," the blonde nodded in admiration as she stepped in front of him and met his gaze.

Oliver exhaled in amusement. "I came to tell you I've given it much thought. I'll happily take the position on the board, Jane."

"Good," she smiled and her eyes sparkled unmistakably. "Now we just have to figure out how to make an honest man out of you. I'd encourage you to run for mayor, but in the wake of your mother's death… I'd say it's too soon."

"I'm not a Messiah, Jane. You can't take who I am and make me into a flawless character. The city won't believe that."

"This city will rally behind any strong force," the blonde Brit argued faintly. "They rallied behind your mother when she ran for mayor, and behind Sebastian Blood when he was elected. You'll find a way that works for you."

Oliver frowned as he contemplated her words.

* * *

Seth Hellfern grinned to himself as he unlocked the doors and stepped inside the familiar, open area. The previous night his new partner had helped him throw the Arrow off-course. He'd planted a seed of doubt in A.R.G.U.S about a hidden laboratory and was pleased to see it had done the trick. The Arrow and his sidekicks had attacked the wrong building and hopefully gotten the message not to trifle with 'Doctor Death'.

His real laboratory thankfully remained secret in an old bunker outside of town. In fact, it was to this location Seth had wandered tonight, to start working on his little project. Now that the trail was hopefully at a dead-end, he could set to work without further interruptions. Freedom had never tasted as sweet, and he certainly didn't miss the insides of Iron Heights. This time around, things would be different.

He turned on the overhead lamps and paused as the light enveloped his hole in the ground. There were intricate machines here and there that hadn't been there when he'd last used the laboratory for experiments. He recognized some of them from the most high-tech of hospitals, and some were so new he'd only read about in different medical journals. They were all gadgets and tools he had great use for, but not yet gotten around to ordering. With all of this at his disposal, the game field was something completely different. He'd get his revenge sooner rather than later, after all.

"Do you like it?" a voice drawled from somewhere in the depths of the chamber.

Seth whirled around as he saw a figure slowly step into the light from behind a couple of storage shelves. The tall, lean man had his hands casually resting in his pants pockets as he walked in a semi-circle around the scientist and his recently expanded laboratory.

"_Mr Merlyn_…" Seth breathed in astonishment.

"I took the liberty of ordering you some useful tools. I did get you out of that awful prison for a very good reason, as you know," Malcolm explained in a soft, controlled voice that hid a sliver of exillerating danger. "And when I have a goal in mind, I tend to be _impatient_. I thought I'd do us both a favor and help you along…"

"Yes, thank you," Seth nodded his head fervently. "It's everything I need to commence."

"That's all I wanted to hear, _Doctor Death_," Malcolm reassured with a predator-like grin as he came to a halt beside his new partner. "I imagine I've saved you a lot of time in your process in finding and producing your charming, little drug… What was it you called it again?"

Seth grinned from ear to ear as he shared the dark passion. His reply was swift and raspy, "_Soul_."

* * *

Felicity unlocked the door to her apartment and stepped inside. She'd tried calling Dick all night and swung by his flat, but she hadn't been able to make contact with the man. As she stepped inside, she stopped dead in her hall and stared with mouth open into her little home.

Even from the hall, she could see the soft glow of candles from within her living room and she slowly stepped further inside. She dropped her handbag on the wood floor as she cautiously peeked around the corner. She sucked in a breath as she saw her living room bathing in lit candles, the warmth of them caressing her skin.

Her gaze landed on the lonesome figure in the dead center of her room. Dick smiled sheepishly as he looked about at all the candles. "Too much?"

"A bit," she confessed and stepped forward.

"Okay," Dick nodded, leaned down and blew out a single candle on her sofa table. "Better?"

Felicity chuckled and mutely nodded as she proceeded to head in his direction on slow, determined feet. "What's all this for?"

"I… I should have told you sooner, Felicity," the man began in a self-depreciating tone. "You shouldn't have found out like this. I wanted you to know sooner because… I know it's early in our relationship, but I really like you. There's something special about you that… I can't even describe the feeling."

"Dick," she interrupted and hesitated. She raised a hand and let it rest against the soft fabric of his shirt, at the middle of his chest. Her gaze remained on her hand over his heart as she tried to voice what hid in her heart. "You know I'm not angry, right? I mean, yes, you lied to me, but I lied to you, too… It's true: you knew I was lying to you, which did give you an unfair edge… but, _still_…" she inhaled slowly and tried to find the courage to let him into the closest circle of her well-guarded heart. It was harder than she'd imagined. "Before I was a bit bothered by the fact that you weren't a part of this world, and that I couldn't tell you the whole truth… but at the same time, I didn't think you had anything to do with it. Please understand… I love this world, but I hadn't realized how consumed I'd become by it before I met you. Working for Oliver during the day as I used to, working with Oliver during the night… It was everything to me. You offered a bridge back to normalcy, in a way. And I hadn't realized that I… kind of missed it. I known normal is a relative word, especially in our little bubble… I had a life of my own with you. That wasn't related to all of this. And now, I don't…"

"Yes, you do," Dick disagreed and reached for the hand against his chest. His bigger, warmer hand enveloped hers and he squeezed tight as he pulled her closer.

She frowned but willingly followed his mute beckoning. "What do you mean?"

"We are who we are, Felicity. Neither of us wants to change that, but it doesn't mean we have to give up our real lives either," his chest seemed to vibrate against her hand as he softly spoke, "I'm not talking about Nightwing or sexy IT-geek/vigilante go-to-girl."

Felicity scrunched up her nose. "_Vigilante go-to-girl_?"

"Bear with me," he laughed. "I'm saying I don't have all the answers, but a life of our own apart from Team Arrow-… You're smiling because I used that term, aren't you? Roy might have used it once. I gather it was your idea."

"Do go on," she grinned wider as she stepped further into his warm embrace and his arms wrapped around her waist. "I'm all ears."

Dick matched her smile with one of his own, "How about this: as long as we're not in costume or in a secret lair… Vigilante business is the Bermuda Triangle of communication. Okay? When we're off-duty we're just you and me: Felicity and Dick. Nothing else matters."

"Deal!" she nodded and stood up on her toes to give him a kiss which he happily reciprocated.

* * *

_To be continued!_

_Preview for Episode 6: Did I hear 'twist ending'? _

_(I'm sorry, but there's just too much going on in the next episode and I don't know how to spoil it. The twist ending is something I've been looking forward to, however!)_


	6. Unforeseen

_A/N: Beware of shipping wars for this! A couple of more episode before it turns. Remember, I'm trying to be true to characters and what's been building up on the show. I want it to be realistic, despite what my own Olicity-heart might prefer. I'm doing it my way, though I understand some readers would have preferred little to no Laurel/Oliver. I could have done this without including Laurel, but now I opted for the highway and I stick by that choice because having closure with Laurel evolves Oliver as a character, and I think people forget that. __Have faith in me, is all I still ask of you. _

_Apart from the shipping: I do hope you enjoy the twists that are on the way with this! Using Season 2 as a template, I'm also going to let Episodes 8-9 be the "mid-seasons finale". At the end of this chapter, you'll get a hint at what is to come._

_This is a far less action-oriented episode than the others, which might not have worked on television - but I'm giving it a go. I believe it's time to focus on the people and lay some groundwork._

_Also: I think it's pretty clear, but to explain - Scenes written in Italics are flashbacks!_

_Synopsis: Diggle gets a scare as Lyla goes into early delivery. Meanwhile, the sudden turn of events forces Oliver to question and admit a few things about his own heart. As Malcolm sets his plan in motion, his past year with Thea comes into focus._

* * *

**3x06: Unforeseen**

"Hey!"

Oliver inhaled as he heard the familiar voice call to him like a siren at sea. He stopped his easy sparring with Laurel and lowered his bo staff at once. She panted beside him, tired and weary from their workout and walked over to her water bottle.

Oliver, meanwhile, turned as he heard the couple's laughter fill the foundry with life and light that was more than welcome these days. Felicity and Dick stepped towards them with matching grins that made them both seem at ease with life and each other. Both of them wore sweats and damp hair, a far cry from their usual outfits and Oliver couldn't help but frown at the unfamiliar picture they painted before him.

Laurel offered the new arrivals a wide smile as she sipped from her water. Her breathing had returned to normal as she spoke, "You two look very happy today?"

"We had a swimming competition," Felicity explained with a sharp nod and flashed the other woman a confidant smirk. Oliver blinked at the expression that passed her features. Confidence suited Felicity Smoak and it made him happy as her friend to see her this way. Unaware of his thoughts, the young woman explained, "We did laps and I won the race!"

Dick snorted. "She _cheated_."

"I _never_ cheat!" Felicity disagreed and nudged her shoulder into his chest with a cute glare. She raised her chin boldly as she declared, "Except when I count cards, but that's a rare occurrence. You're just a sore loser!"

"You had an unfair advantage, Smoak," the tall, brown-haired man firmly disagreed. "Captains of the Swim Team usually do."

Oliver frowned and his curious eyes sought out the blonde's. "You were a Swim Team Captain in High school…?"

"That was a _long_ time ago," the woman deflected as she held his gaze. "And it was more of a stand-in position that one time, not official. Hardly an advantage now. And certainly not an advantage against a tights-wearing martial arts experts who bench press three times my weight."

"_Four_ times and it's a leather-blend with-" Dick inhaled sharply and raised a calloused hand as if unwilling to take the fight. "Never mind. Let's just call it a tie."

"I won fair and square!"

The man wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he looked towards the open training area. "How about we settle this with a round on the mat?"

Felicity scowled. "You know I'm not good with those sticks."

"I think it's high time you learn," Dick suggested, and the words seemed almost trained, as if he'd been meaning to ask earlier but had been awaiting the opportune moment. "If you want to, that is?"

"… Sure. We have an hour to kill before me and Oliver have to report to A.R.G.U.S. Why not?"

"Me and Ollie were just about done training anyway. Here," Laurel said and offered her long, wooden stick to the blonde.

Oliver smiled tightly. "Actually, I wanted to discuss something with the two of you."

Dick and Felicity stopped and turned towards him expectantly. Their flawless, burning joy was momentarily replaced with confused attentiveness to him.

Oliver paused as he noticed.

Ever since Dick had been revealed as Nightwing, the man had become an honorary figure on their little team. It was an issue Felicity had carefully threaded around, and something Oliver, Diggle and Roy had gladly accepted.

It was a bit weird to have the cop on their team, but Dick had acclimatized himself fairly well already as a vital member on their team. The young man had an easygoing personality that made it nearly impossible not to like him. With his years in the police force he held the same magnetic charisma as Diggle, but he still had a gentler heart and treated Roy like a smaller brother.

All in all, he was a decent man who managed to keep a light sense of humor despite the darkness he'd obviously encountered. He was good covering those darker tracks in his heart, but Oliver had seen the ghosts of his past flash by in Dick's eyes when he thought no one could see him. Oliver recognized it only too well in his own heart and soul, but had decided not to prod for more details on a broken past he had no business meddling in.

Besides, Oliver didn't want to rub Dick the wrong way. He knew it meant a lot to Felicity, but also knew that Dick could prove very helpful in their battle against evil. And perhaps more so in their battle against the elusive Doctor Death.

Reminded of why he interrupted them, Oliver cleared his throat. "It's about Seth Hellfern. I've been pondering that night last week... and your timely interruption."

"You mean saving Felicity from being rammed off the street? Yeah, sure, I remember."

Oliver ignored the quip as he decided not to beat around the bush. "Were you simply keeping an eye on Felicity that night?"

The blonde turned her gaze up to her boyfriend as all of them waited for a response. For another couple of seconds, the silence was almost deafening in the lair around them.

Dick shrugged at length. "Seth Hellfern worked for a friend of mine in Gotham City. Of course, we didn't know he was a criminal at first. But everything became crystal clear when he tried to blackmail my friend."

"Wait, I... thought you were from Blüdhaven?" Laurel frowned in confusion from the sidelines.

"I worked in Blüdhaven for several years after leaving Gotham," the brown-haired man explained sharply. "But Gotham is my home. _Was_ my home... The short version is that yes, I encountered Doctor Death in Gotham City many years ago. Me and my friend drove him out of the city."

Felicity pondered his words and asked, "What happened exactly?"

Dick hesitated and the man's expression faltered as he searched for any words to justify his reaction. "I'd... rather not say. Please understand, it's a time in my life I don't care to relive right now. Maybe one day."

Oliver thought about pushing for more details that could prove to be of worth, but decided against it for now. There was a time and place for everything, and this was plainly not the right moment. He hated leaving a stone unturned, but refrained out of courtesy to Felicity's best interest. "You know how the doctor thinks and works, then?"

"... Yes."

"_Good_," Oliver nodded briskly. "Then I'm asking you if you can find out more about his whereabouts here in Starling. See if we can figure out what this is all about. We know he had help escaping from Iron Heights, but we need to find out if that was Hellfern's idea or if someone else is controlling the game. We need to stop whatever this is before it can escalate. Take Roy out tonight and scout, will you?"

Dick blinked twice and seemed to wrestle with a question on the tip of his tongue, but eventually swallowed it down. "… Sure." He turned back to the petite blonde by his side and winked, "Now... How about that training session?"

Felicity's smile was more timid than previously, but her cheeks flushed a bright crimson as she mutely led the way over to the training mats.

Oliver raised his chin as they walked past him and he lost himself in thought. A soft pressure on his arm pulled him back to the present and he inhaled sharply. He glanced down at Laurel by his side, and her warm eyes were filled with concern for him. "Is everything alright, Ollie?"

"It's just… I have a lot on my mind regarding Doctor Death and QC," he explained himself with a grimaced smile as he listened to the staffs slam together behind him like heavy drum sticks. He pushed all of his worries to the back of his head and focused on the brunette by his side. "Nothing a bit of sparring can't help with. I was thinking we could test what your father has actually taught you in hand-to-hand combat?"

"Try and keep up," Laurel winked good-naturedly.

* * *

"I believe it's time," Malcolm spoke into his phone and was pleased to hear the voice at the other end answer in the affirmative. Merlyn concluded with, "Set the plan in motion."

With _Doctor Death_ as a willing chess player, Malcolm finally had all he needed to start the game against Oliver Queen. The battle ahead promised to be gruel, but necessary nonetheless. The initial part of his plan required a certain diversion. It was a necessary component, but this particular diversion he'd been reluctant towards in the beginning. His daughter had unwittingly planted the seed once when she'd rambled in a blind fury, and eventually the words had grown into something Malcolm could shape and fit into the bigger revenge scheme. He had swallowed his own pride this once, and knew he could be well rewarded for it in the end.

Like a cat in long-reaching shadows, he needed to remain unseen as he snuck towards his unsuspecting prey in the distance. Others would have to fight in the open while he waited for the right moment. He needed the rest to unravel first and the chaos that it brought with it would bring him closer to his goal.

This initial phase, was, after all, only the starting point to a long journey he'd longed for ever since Tommy's demise.

"_Thea_!" he called and entered the fancy living room in their suite on feather-light feet. He found the young brunette reclined in the middle of the beige sofa, grazing through a fashion magazine as if she'd seen nothing more boring. She looked up at him expectantly. "It's started."

"It has?" she asked, the magazine at once forgotten, as she rose to meet him.

"Remember, sweetheart…" Malcolm spoke as his hands found her shoulders. "If you want me to call this off, you only need to say the words."

Her eyes clouded momentarily - with old, fond memories, no doubt - but they were soon wiped away to reveal the strong woman Malcolm had seen her become under his tutelage these past months. She was certainly her father's daughter and held his strength where it mattered the most. She, too, needed this vengeance, for similar yet unique reasons than his own.

"We agreed on this. _T__ogether,_" Thea spoke slowly, evidently reaching more clarity by the second as she made her final choice. Her raspy voice was dripping with determination as she continued, "You've been honest with me every step of the way since you found me, and… he hasn't. He deserves this for what he's done to us both. I still love him… but I want him to hurt like he hurt me."

"That's my girl," Malcolm pinched her cheek as his arm enveloped her slender shoulders and held her close to him. "I'm proud of you, you know. You've come a long way since stepping into my limo seven months ago."

The young brunette exhaled in dark amusement. "... Evolution is for the strong. For the _survivors_."

"That's right," the man smiled affectionately as he remembered the words. "And don't forget: as soon as we learn that this first step worked… You're free to reveal yourself to your waiting crowd. And won't they be pleased to see you!"

* * *

**Eight months earlier: **

_Thea shuffled around in her seat. She wrapped her black cardigan closer around her limbs as she glanced out through the airplane window at the night sky outside._ _Only an hour before, she'd decided to leave Starling City for good and all those she'd once loved._ "_Where are you taking me?"_

_Opposite her, Malcolm sipped from a glass of wine and reclined with great ease. He matched her worried scowl with a smile. _"_I'm not __taking__ you anywhere, Thea. You __chose__ this."_

"_I know, I know. I'm…I'm-"_

"_You're lost... I can see it in your eyes. You have a fire in you, but you've also lost so much. Including yourself. I was the same once, after I lost my wife. You were too young to remember when it happened, but…" Malcolm cleared his throat from the thick bile that threatened to reveal his heart too soon. He slowly set down his glass on the table between them and licked his lips. "I know the feeling, is what I meant to say. And I hope to help you regain your balance, the way I regained mine."_

_Thea eyed him suspiciously, but the hatred that had been in them before was now gone. _"_You __murdered__ people."_

"_For a greater good."_

"_Yeah? Well, it's still a weird balance you've got going for you."_

_Malcolm chuckled. _"_Honesty. I appreciate that. You really are of the same bones as I am. Thea…We have all the time in the world to discuss the past and the present, but I cannot explain anything while you're lost. __We'll focus on finding you first. Let me take care of you, like the father I should have been allowed to be for you… Let us both have the fresh start we need and turn over a new leaf."_

_Unprepared to the frankness and sincerity to his offer, Thea was taken aback. It had been a long time anyone had spoken to her with sincerity. She'd heard nothing but lies from those who'd professed to being her closest. Her mother, her brother, Roy… They were all the same. She could trust no one, especially not those she once thought she loved. She'd lost them all because of the insistent lies. She'd had enough. She still didn't know exactly what she wanted, but she needed this break from them, this break from Starling City._

_At length, she nodded her head slowly. "I'm ready…"_

* * *

"Dad?" Laurel asked as the front door swung wide open and her father's grim face appeared in the open doorway. "Is something wrong? That was quite the impromptu dinner invite…"

"Wrong? No!" Quentin replied hurriedly and smoothed a wrinkle in his navy-blue shirt as he glanced back over his shoulder. "Come on in. Did you know your mother's in town?"

Without waiting for a reply, he waved his daughter into the flat and helped her shrug out of her pale jacket. His movements were just a tad too upbeat, and the whole scenario made Laurel suspicious. He wanted her present tonight almost too much.

"Is that a new dress?" he asked loudly and pointed towards her black and grey outfit. "It suits you, honey!"

Laurel squinted her eyes as she tried to read the edgy look to his eyes and watched as he paused to take a deep breath. She leaned in close and lowered her voice, "You've _never _remarked about my fashion sense before. What's going on?"

"Come, greet your mother!" Quentin replied. His voice was higher than normal conversation, as if he didn't want potential eavesdroppers to get the wrong impression. Laurel nodded as she saw the end to her inquiries. She'd learn soon enough, then. He quickly steered her into his open dining area, and concluded, "And her fiancé!"

Laurel did a double-take; both at the image before her and her father's unexpected words.

Expectantly, Dinah stood beside a chair on the other end of the wooden table, an embarrassed smile grazing her full lips as she met her daughter's gaze. Beside her stood a tall, lanky man with hollow cheeks but kind, pale eyes. He had a strong jawline that reminded Laurel of old-time movie stars and he flashed her a wide grin as he extended his hand and stepped towards her.

"I'm Larry," the man's voice was burly and had a certain familiarity to it, as if he had an uncanny ability of making anyone he met feel at home. His handshake was firm as his eyes darted between father and daughter. "You must be Laurel. You're mother's told me everything about you."

Laurel blinked, her mind still trying to process the news that had come with her mother's unexpected visit. "You too... I'm sorry… Did I hear Dad correct?"

Her mother inclined her head and a softness fell over her face that Laurel hadn't seen for a long time. Dinah raised her left hand and Laurel's gaze was pulled towards the sparkling diamond on her ring finger. "We're engaged to be married!"

"That's…" Laurel stuttered and couldn't quite hide her surprise. She conspicuously glanced up at her father, who wore an unreadable expression on his features. Laurel turned back to the couple and offered them a genuine smile. "That's wonderful news, mum!"

Dinah stepped over and embraced her daughter tightly as she explained herself, "I know this is all so sudden, but I thought I owed it to you both to come here and tell you in person. I didn't want to wait and let you hear it from another source. I thought it was only fair… I hope..."

An egg timer shrilled loudly from the kitchen then and they were all literally saved by the bell. Larry, Dinah and Quentin all jumped into action. As the Lance man stepped forward, his ex-wife offered him an apologetic smile.

"We can prepare the last for dinner, Quentin. Sit, sit," Dinah suggested and pulled out a chair for him. "After all, I did invite myself and it's only fair we make ourselves useful when we're here. The casserole will be done in a jiffy. We'll be right back!"

The newly engaged couple stepped into the kitchen and out of sight.

Laurel turned back to her father and watched as all air seemed to go out of him. He sank onto the offered chair and sighed. He looked drained emotionally, as if this blow had knocked the air from his lungs. When her mother had told them she'd found a new man, Laurel had accepted the truth that things could never be the same again. But something told her the same acceptance had been harder for her father.

Quentin offered her a sad smile to reassure her he wasn't as defeated as he looked, before he rose on heavy knees. "I could use a drink."

Laurel felt worry fill her chest as she threw him a stern glare. "You know you can't."

"Don't worry, I wasn't thinking about alcohol. I meant… A Virgin Cuba Libre."

The young woman scowled. "That's just Coke."

"Yes. Do you want one, too?"

"… _Please_."

* * *

Wide as a barn door, and feeling graceful as one, too, Lyla waddled bare feet across the wooden floor of the apartment she shared with John. She was 38 weeks pregnant and couldn't wait for the last two to fly by. She was quite prepared to lose the 'extra weight' and see their little bundle of joy in broad daylight. The little girl had certainly been a burden to bear at times; kicking madly during the nights, giving her heart burns to match wild fires and a back ache that just would not settle. Still, Lyla was in equal measures terrified and excited for what lay ahead. The future was entirely unwritten and this was something she'd never done before.

She peered into the bedroom and saw John seated by the desk with his back turned towards her. He was slouched back in his seat, his shoulders stiff and seemingly pensive as his eyes rested on the laptop before him.

"… Are you okay, Johnny?"

Diggle inhaled slowly and turned his head so he could see his partner. "I just Skyped with A.J. He and Carly seem to enjoy the coast… He says 'Hi' by the way."

Lyla leaned against the doorpost as she noticed the wistful look to his eyes. "You miss them, don't you? Why don't you go see them for a weekend?"

"And leave my pregnant wife alone?" John questioned with a wrinkle between his eyebrows. Lyla wanted to remark on it looking cute on him, but had a fairly good feeling he wouldn't take it too well.

"_Ex_-wife," Lyla corrected instead. "And I wouldn't be entirely alone, you know. I have the team. Besides, you already left me 'alone' when you followed Felicity to Vegas," she quickly raised her hands before he could think she was whining. "Which I, by the way, think was the right choice to make. She needed you more than I did then… just as I think A.J does now. It's been awhile since we settled them in there. It's still new, it's not always easy for a kid to change scenery and adapt. He must be missing his favorite uncle."

"_Only _uncle," Diggle snorted.

"Favorite, nonetheless."

"I can't… You're almost due."

"Two more weeks," Lyla disagreed and patted her immense stomach. "I know I look bigger than that, though. Sometimes I feel like I'm a whale, Johnny!"

John grimaced in amused disagreement. "… Maybe a manatee."

"Oh, I'll get you for that!" the brunette snarled with a widening grin as she stepped towards him.

He rose and met her half-way. His arms encircled her waist as he joked, "Yeah? Whatcha gonna do, huh? _Waddle_ over me?"

"I was thinking more… about _abstaining."_

"Abstaining, from what?"

The woman winked as she took a few steps back from him. "… I think you know."

"Oh, girl…" John laughed and his eyes lit up like fireworks. "That's not fair."

"Well, I-Oh!... _Oh_!" Lyla flinched and her hands flew down to her stomach at once. The smile on her lips faded into fear as she held her breath.

John frowned as he tried to catch her eyes and felt his heart rush inside his chest. He was by her side in a heartbeat, holding onto her, "Lyla? What's wrong?"

"Johnny…" her dark eyes sought out his and unfocused thoughts whirled around in her orbs as she clung to him. "I think my water just broke…"

* * *

Oliver was just about to head out for the lair when he heard a knock on his front door. As he glanced through the peephole, he was surprised to see Jane Deleon standing awkwardly in the corridor outside. Without prolonging the inevitable, he opened the door and looked down at her with a confused frown.

"_Jane_!" Oliver breathed. "Did I miss a meeting at QC…?"

The fair woman was clad casually for the night, having lost her trademark heels and snug dresses. Instead she wore jeans and a matching sweater. She looked up at him and shook her head hurriedly, "No, no."

Oliver raised his index finger and jokingly remarked, "Ah… You want to know if I'm an… _honest_ _man_, was it the word you used?"

Jane exhaled in amusement but shook her head in disagreement. Seeing the honest attempt trying to take form in her eyes, he opened the door and let her step inside his flat. She stepped slowly further into his private home, her eyes curiously flying across his personal items. Soon enough, she turned back however and explained herself, "I… I know I've come on strong where QC is concerned. I have a tendency to be like a steamroller when business is involved. Get it after my… father," she exhaled wearily and the sound of her breath seemed to linger in the air. "I… I thought we could go back to basics. Be friends. I don't want you to feel as if I'm making you do something you're not prepared for or taking charge where you should be in control over the project."

Uncertain more than ever what this was all about, Oliver managed a slight nod. "I'd... like that, too."

"I know this must seem weird, and if I knew a better way to handle this, I would. You mainly know me as Thea's friend, but..." Jane inclined her head repeatedly, as if trying to encourage him with the motion. "I want us to trust each other."

Her words died out into the open space of his apartment, and no sound seemed to come after. Oliver could see her struggle with something, as if afraid to walk the line. Whatever he'd seen, soon vanished as she turned her gaze to the side, searching for a diversion.

Her eyes glued themselves to a photo frame on his bookshelf and a soft smile played on her lips as she stepped towards it. Jane took down the photo of a young, smiling Tommy Merlyn posing for a portrait and turned back to Oliver. "It's a good photo."

"Yes," the man agreed and his heart constricted at the memory of his dearest friend. "He always did take good photos."

"… I miss him."

Taken aback once more by the honest pain and attempt, Oliver could but match with his own sincerity, "Me too..."

"Thea…" Jane smiled fondly as memories flashed by in her pale eyes. "She used to have the biggest crush on Tommy when we were young. She thought he was so handsome, and he was always sweet towards us both…"

Oliver tried to hide his grimace, but he wasn't fast enough.

Jane frowned up at him. "What?"

"_Nothing_."

"You were _both_ very sweet to us," the blonde clarified as she carefully placed the photo back in its place. "You behaved like jerks to everyone else, but always protected us. I've never forgotten…"

Oliver's gaze lingered on the photo of Tommy. "I remember, too."

"You know what I _don't_ remember?" Jane asked suddenly and whirled around on him. "I don't remember how I got that awful nickname: _Killer_…"

"I do," Oliver grinned as he put his hands in his pants pockets and let himself get lost in more carefree days. "It started as a joke and spun from there. Tommy thought it was amusing, since it couldn't be further from the truth. The anti-thesis of you."

"I don't know about that. I've killed a lot of spiders in my days," the woman grimaced, and then added as an after-thought, "… always seemed to make it rain."

"Still afraid of those little critters, huh?"

"Some fears never die… even when you kill them over and over," she smiled briefly, but it didn't linger on her features. She took a hesitant step towards him and exhaled. "Oliver, I've been meaning to ask, but… Where is Thea? And no more lies, please. I know she's not in England."

Glad to have reached the core of her visit, Oliver inclined his head slowly. He looked down at the blonde, pondering how much that remained unsaid judging by the look in her eyes. He had a feeling he had barely scratched the surface with her, and perhaps friendship could be necessary to deem her value in reclaiming QC.

"… She wanted to make a new start away from Starling. She's not coming home," he told her at length. It was half a true, after all. It was the plan Thea had told him about the last time he had seen her, a plan that he'd learned never came to fruition. The truth was a whole other story, in a way. He had no idea where she was, but was fairly certain she didn't want anything to do with him. The only thing he could do was to accept her choice and hope for the best.

Jane blinked guardedly. She wet her lips as she tried her voice, "… Ever?"

Oliver scowled at the raw weariness to her voice. He opened his mouth to reply when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He withdrew the item and looked down at the Caller-ID. The screen read 'John Diggle'.

* * *

**Three months ago**

_"Good!" Malcolm encouraged as Thea parried his attack gracefully. The brunette grinned at his compliment and once more came at him with her sword._

_As Malcolm blocked her advances, he couldn't help but think she was a natural at this. It was as easy as breathing to her, and her movements were both graceful and strong. True, the first month had been hard for her, but when her mental obstacles had washed away like a flood, the rest had flowed easily._

_Over the past four months, he had won her heart over, and he knew she trusted him at last. In turn, he loved her more than he possibly had ever loved Tommy. Tommy had always been a good son, there was no doubt of that. But Thea was so very much alike her father that he couldn't help but hold a candle for her. She'd learned to embrace her darkness with the passing days, and left the past in the past. Her mother, her brother and that boy called Roy... Thea's love for them had all died out as she'd processed their lies with the gentle coaxing of her father. _

_He'd helped her see the truth, and was glad she shared his opinion at last. Training her in battle had felt like a necessary next step, and she'd fallen into the routine gladly. _

_As she attacked him, Malcolm saw an opening and blocked her sword with one hand and kicked out her leg from under him with his left foot. Thea fell backwards onto the training mat and panted from exhaustion as she collected herself._

_"Always keep your guard up, Thea," Malcolm coached and held out his hand for her. She grabbed it and pulled herself to a standing position._

_Her breathing steadied as she looked at him through contemplative eyes. "... Are you sure about this plan?"_

_"Only if you are," Malcolm re-assured and smiled inwardly._

_He'd suggested his grand scheme only a few days ago, and Thea had been somewhat reluctant to agree it was a good plan. Perhaps she held greater affection for her past than Malcolm had expected, but evidently that hold was dwindling in the same pace as his influence over her was gaining._

_"The whole plan is about you," he further explained and his voice was soft like a morning breeze. "To give you back what you deserve. It will be the new start we've been waiting for. And it will__ show your brother and the others what you have become. __Evolution, Thea, is for the __strong__. For people like you and me. We adapt to the wickedness of this world and make our own paths to suit our needs. Sometimes, the means does justify the end. You'll see I'm right if you agree to walk this path with me."_

_"And if I don't?" Thea asked in a low voice._

_"Then I'll walk the path you choose," her father assured with a warm smile. "The point is that we do this together."_

_"But Oliver..." the woman's voice trailed off. "I know he's lied to me, but he's..." _

_"Done you more harm than good! He's done the whole city more harm than good if you ask me!"_

_Thea frowned at his use of words. "... What are you talking about?"_

_"Thea, sweetheart..." Malcolm sighed as he steered her onto the path of his choosing. It had come time for the final nail in the coffin between Oliver and Thea, and this was a day he'd been waiting for a long time. "I've always told you the truth, you know that. There is something, however, I've been uncertain how to tell you. But you've grown so much, and I think you can take the truth now. The whole truth about Oliver... What he's been keeping from you all this time."_

_Thea's eyes were focused and firm as she waited on baited breath. "Tell me."_

_Malcolm drew a gentle breath for theatrical effect. "Oliver... is the Arrow."_

* * *

As Oliver sank further into the uncomfortable chair in the waiting room at the hospital, his mind wandered. He thought about Jane and Thea, and the company he so longed to have back in his grasp, but his thoughts never lingered for long.

Being present so close to Diggle and Lyla's future happiness... He couldn't help but let his thoughts wander down the road of his own heart's desires and the two people who hid along the path.

First there was _Laurel_. She was the one he'd wronged so much, yet she'd forgiven him for past offences. While trapped on The Island, he'd done everything in his power to return to _her_. She had been the seemingly expected love of his life. He didn't deserve either love or forgiveness from her, both of which she had still offered to him. With all the water under the bridge, he wasn't sure they could actually find their way back to each other in the end, nor was he certain it was the right decision. Still, she was present on his mind, especially since she'd learned about his secret life and become a part of it.

He'd thought he was over Laurel by now, but there was something about her that always reeled him back in. Something mysterious, an unwritten 'What if?' that they'd never answered.

And then there was _Felicity_, the young woman who'd made such an impact on his life that he had never foreseen. She'd brought light into a life of endless night, and changed him for the better in her own quirky way. Though she had never known the man he'd been before The Island, and never seen his pure, innocent soul, she still believed there was good in him. Sometimes, her unfaltering belief in him had him, too, believing in her. Before she had entered his life, Oliver had been certain he was a lost cause. Now, he wasn't so certain anymore.

_That_ night, in his family's abandoned manor, when he'd done the unthinkable to stop his enemy, he'd known he could fool Slade to believe he loved Felicity. What he hadn't expected was to realize that the lie had been the truth. At least in part. He'd long known she carried a torch for him, but he had never wanted to encourage her because he knew he could never tarnish her light with his charcoal-black soul.

Oliver exhaled deeply. It didn't matter in the end. Laurel. Felicity. They both deserved so much more than the little he had to offer. The broken soldier whose soul purpose in life was to fight crime and lose himself piece by piece. If he couldn't give one of them a chance, he ought to let both of them go. At least Felicity had found Dick, but-

"That was Dick," Felicity interrupted his train of thought and Oliver flinched in surprise as she sank into the chair beside him. She grimaced apologetically at having startled him as she further elaborated, "He said he and Roy haven't found anything about Doctor Death. I told them to call it a night."

"That's fine," Oliver nodded as he tried to pull himself from the bottomless well of his thoughts.

His behaviour did not go unnoticed, and the blonde remarked, "… Is something wrong?"

The man shook his head firmly. "It's nothing."

"Don't say nothing," she said with a soft, chiding smile.

Oliver sighed and hesitated on the abyss. "It's… all of this. Diggle and Lyla. Having a child. It's a big change for all of us. Then there's you and Dick."

"… And now you lost me."

"None of this fits well with our... secret lives," Oliver swallowed and closed his eyes tight. "What if I can't do it? What if I'm too far gone?"

"To do what?" Felicity asked.

He rarely wore his heart on his sleeve, but he made an exception for her. "… Love someone."

"But you and Sara…? _Oh_!" her eyes widened in realization and he saw her mind quickly latch onto his line of thinking. "That's why you were with her? Because you believed she was so similar to you. A self-proclaimed killer who's irredeemable. Oliver, you're not like that! Neither of you have dark souls… It's just in your heads."

Oliver shook his head in disagreement and glanced about the empty room. "The island made me a killer, Felicity."

"And you've moved beyond that in these past few years! You're not that killer you were anymore! You have redeemed yourself… you're a _hero!_"

He smiled at her fiery tone that served as a beacon in trialing days. "... I try to be, but I'm not really. I don't kill anymore, but I'll always be a killer. I can't let go of the part of me that still lingers in the darkness. No matter what I've done… that's who I'll _always_ be."

"It is not!" her voice was on the brink of dejection and her eyes held his captive.

"I can't go back to the man I was before the island," he said while he looked her square in the eye.

"And why would you?" Felicity countered and the question threw him. "No offense, but that guy could be conceited and vain… and constantly drunk. He's not _you_. Troubled and broody, yes… But also the strongest man I've ever met. Capable of so much love. You've overcome everything that's been thrown at you because you _care_. I know you don't see it, but I do. We all do… You'll see it to someday, with any luck."

Oliver smiled and his gaze fell to his lap. "… With any luck."

* * *

After Dinah and Larry at last said goodnight and headed for their hotel with a promise of a shared breakfast with the Lance family the very next day, Laurel and her father collapsed in his worn sofa.

The news had settled in their minds now, and the dinner had actually been pleasant though awkward at times. Laurel thought her mother could have handled it better, but still saw the point in bringing her fiancé along to give them a chance to get to know him. And Larry seemed nice. He was warm and genuine, with a simmering kindness ever present in his eyes. More than anything, his presence illuminated Dinah Lance, and that was all Laurel needed to know he was good enough for her. She was truly happy for her mother.

Cautiously, she turned her gaze to look at her father's strong profile where he sat beside her. The elder man leaned his head against the backrest and he seemed paradoxically drained yet tense at the same time.

"So…" Laurel drawled slowly as time ticked on by. "Do you feel like going to the wedding in Central city in two months…?"

"That would be too weird, don't you agree? You should go, though, she'd want you there, but _me_?" Quentin chuckled and ran a hand across his weary features. "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting this. I don't know how to feel. _Happy_ for her, obviously, but…"

"I know," his daughter smiled and reached out for her father's hand where it rested on the cushions between them. "It took me by surprise to. I didn't think she wanted to re-marry."

"Larry's… good for her," Quentin assured as he turned to meet her gaze and squeezed her hand. "He'll make her happy."

"You could have made her happy, too, dad," Laurel gently coaxed.

Her father solemnly shook his head. "I don't think I would have. Once; yes. _Now_? I don't know…"

Laurel frowned as she rested her head against her arm and searched for the answers not yet given. "You think… you only get one chance at happiness with someone?"

"Laurel, sweetheart, you don't always get what you want in this life," Quentin sighed and the heavy breath seemed to do the trick. "It's as simple as that. Sometimes… you have to accept the happiness of others, even if it hurts at the time. I'll always love your mother… but we're simply not meant to be. She'll be happier without me, and that makes me glad in turn... Certainly happier than if I'd made her miserable."

Laurel let his words sink in and when she remained silent a second too long, Quentin turned his anxious glare up to meet hers. He squinted and asked, "Why do you ask?"

"I don't…" the brunette shrugged.

"Is this about Oliver Queen?"

Laurel slowly inclined her head and smiled sheepishly.

Quentin sighed heavily and shut his eyes, looking for all intents and purposes as if he was trying to keep his reaction to himself. In the end, however, his shoulders slumped and he revealed, "Sweetheart, you know how I feel about Oliver. Sure, yeah… Oliver's changed. He's a _good_ man and I've told you once already: you could do a whole lot worse... But I'd still prefer it if he dated someone with a last name that wasn't _Lance_."

Laurel laughed as she slapped her father's shoulder and he withdrew from her in mock-pain.

* * *

Another half an hour later, Felicity and Oliver were impatiently awaiting news of any kind regarding Baby Diggle.

"Do you want one?" Felicity's voice pulled them both back to the present moment and they turned towards each other.

"What?" Oliver frowned in confusion as he tried to read her contemplative eyes.

The blonde shrugged and her loose hair grazed her shoulders. "I mean, one day? Obviously not now."

Oliver pondered the question as he scooted up in his seat. "You mean a baby?"

"Yeah..." Felicity nodded and bit her bottom lip. "I was just thinking aloud, you don't have to-"

"I don't know," Oliver admitted distantly. "I think… Yes. I think I do. But, I'm not sure if I can. With the life that I lead…"

Felicity's hand suddenly landed on his shoulder, and he glanced down at her black-painted nails and her comforting smile. "Someday."

Oliver nodded his head and returned the smile, "Someday."

John suddenly entered the room then on brisk feet, his eyes quickly finding his friends across the yellow waiting room. He stepped towards them with a widening grin and Felicity and Oliver rose to meet him in the middle. The man looked tired and worn, with dark circles under his eyes. Still, his eyes were full of life as he looked down at them.

"How'd it go?" Oliver asked before his friend had a chance to speak. "Any news?"

"Felicity, Oliver…" John positively beamed as his gaze flew between them. "How'd you like to meet your god-daughter?"

Felicity blinked and clutched onto Oliver's arm without thinking. The blonde smiled. "_What_?"

"You two are god-parents to a very beautiful baby girl."

"Congratulations!" Felicity breathed as she threw her arms around her friend's neck. "I want to see her!"

* * *

Oliver and Felicity stood on either side of Diggle in the labour ward as they gazed through the window at the different babies, lying on heat tables in a neat row. In the second bed to the right in the row of children lay Baby Diggle, her skin a perfect blend between vanilla and chocolate and a curly mop of hair at the top of her head. The girl was sleeping soundly and it was too soon to tell if her features would look like her mother or her father.

"You're a father, John!" Felicity squealed and half-embraced him from the side a second time.

John chuckled at her enthusiasm and looked down at the small girl through the glass. His expression softened almost unnoticeable as he looked down at her. "… I am."

"What are you going to call her?" Oliver asked in a gentle tone that stood in stark contrast to his gruff voice normally used as the Arrow.

"We were thinking Maya… Maya Diggle-Michaels," Diggle replied as he glanced at his friend.

"_Beautiful_," Oliver hummed with a nod.

Felicity squeezed the new father's arm and smiled. "I know you'll be the best dad."

He turned his gaze down to his other friend and let his own trepidation shine through his fatigue and excitement. "How can you be so sure of that, Felicity?"

"Dig…" the blonde tilted her head to the side. "There's not a doubt in my mind."

Oliver shook his head and patted his friend's back. "Not in mine either."

* * *

Laurel, Roy and Dick hurried through the hospital corridors in the direction the nurses had told them. Before long they found their way to the correct ward and stopped outside the room where the infants were monitored for the moment. Inside, they saw Oliver cradle a baby in his arms, with Felicity standing a few feet away, looking at the sleeping child and whispering something to the man.

Dick gently knocked on the door and greeted the nurse and his friends. When Dick entered, Oliver looked up at the man and held his gaze for a second before he nodded and stepped back. He wordlessly handed over the baby to Felicity. He held her gaze for another second before he turned towards the exit and stepped outside.

"You can go in there, too, Roy," Oliver reassured in a low tone.

The young woman smiled but shook his head with a frightened grimace. "I think I'll wait for a while. I know I'm not pumped up on Mirakuru, but I still feel like I'm going to accidentally injure the little one. Where's Dig?"

Oliver nodded his head in the direction of their room. "He went to see how Lyla was doing. It's down the hall and the second room to the right."

"Thanks," Roy nodded and turned to Laurel. "Do you want me to give him those for you?"

The brunette handed him the flowers with an appreciative smile and watched as the young man set off down the corridor. Laurel turned her grin back to Oliver, and he returned the expression without missing a beat. His gaze held hers a second longer before he turned to glance back at Dick, Felicity and Baby Diggle.

He felt as if a hand squeezed his heart as he looked at the beaming blonde and her happily ever after. He lowered his gaze with a softer smile.

With a baby born into their dangerous team, perhaps there was a flicker of hope rising with the sun on the Eastern horizon. Not just for the happy parents, but for all of them. They'd all certainly go out of their way to keep the little one safe, and nothing would harm her.

Laurel exhaled before him and her tone was gentle as silk as she said, "… Do you ever wonder… if we had stayed on the right track, if that could have been our baby in there right now?"

Oliver closed his eyes as he let her heartfelt question rattle his brain. He looked down at the woman he had never truly let go of and tilted his head to the side as he noticed her loving gaze remained on the infant in the adjacent room.

"My mother's getting re-married," she blurted then. "It feels unreal. She still loves my dad, I'm sure of it. But… They tried it once, but now they can't find their way back to each other. She's over him, and he can't change that... It's almost funny, how strange life has become. How unlike everything I thought it would be."

Oliver tilted his head to the side as he took in her lost expression. Laurel looked incomplete just now, just like Oliver felt he was. She'd been shattered by the past and the darkness had found its way into her cracks. Still, she carried a lot of light that had the potential of healing her if she so willed it down the line. Perhaps she was not so different from him, after all. Perhaps they could be broken together, though he had a lot he needed to redeem where she was concerned.

"How about a coffee?" Oliver asked and her head whipped in his direction so fast, he thought she'd given herself whiplash. "It's not... It's just... I have a lot to work through, and we have _history_. A lot of history… We can't erase any of that."

Laurel cautiously eyed him, a sparkle of hope ignited in her eyes. "Then let's not. Everyone comes with baggage, Ollie. We just happen to _be_ each other's baggage. You've made some terrible mistakes in the past… and maybe I'm not entirely over them. But I'm willing to look forward and… leave the past in the past."

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Forgive me."

Laurel dipped her head and shrugged. "It's part of my smoldering charm?"

Oliver closed his eyes briefly as he said, "I'm serious."

Laurel nodded slowly as she read the plea in his entire body language. "… Because we're different people from who we were then and deserve a second chance at happiness."

Oliver shook his head slowly, unable to comprehend what he was about to say. "I'm not ready for a commitment of any size, Laurel… But I don't want to be alone anymore, either. I want… I want to see if this can be worth it."

"There's no rush, Ollie," Laurel's grin widened as she offered him her hand. "We'll take it in whatever pace you're most comfortable with. Let's just give it a chance. See what happens."

* * *

Slade Wilson stepped atop the smooth cliffs and drew a deep breath that filled his lungs to the very top. The fresh sea-air was salty, but still sweet with freedom. He heard a few gulls cry in the skies above and he opened his eyes to look down at the long, sandy beach that he knew only too well. He glanced back towards the entrance to the A.R.G.U.S-prison and smirked to himself. Oliver had thought the prison could hold him back, but the young American couldn't have been more wrong.

Slade adjusted his eye-patch as he glanced back at the person who'd helped him escape from the hellhole. He raised a hand and raspingly asked in his Australian accent, "... Where's my sword?"

His companion simply inclined his head before the man pulled off the unique sword and its hilt from his back. The armed soldier handed the weapon to its waiting master and rightful owner. Slade smiled down at the sharp blade and trusted companion where it rested like an elongation of his body in his firm grasp, right where it belonged.

Slade raised his gaze to once more search the horizon where clear blue sky met grey-blue sea. He briefly glanced back over his shoulder and spoke to his companion, "Tell your master I'll happily oblige. But I'll do this _my _way. Oliver Queen is _mine _to kill. And this time, I have a new plan to serve my purpose."

He inhaled the fresh air a second time and his grin widened as he looked ahead. He was free at last and his fun was just about to begin.

* * *

_To be continued!_

_Preview: As Oliver wonders if he can truly trust Jane Deleon, Thea makes her official comeback and the League of Assassins brings Team Arrow news that throws everyone for a loop. Who is in danger?_


	7. Reiteration

_A/N; I apologize for the delay in update but my computer crashed and I had to get a new one. Sadly what I had worked hard for over the past months regarding my Arrow Season 3 has been mostly deleted in the process. It will take a longer time to rebuild what never was, so be patient for new chapters down the line! There's a lot of work to re-do._

_Synopsis for Episode 7: Oliver suspects Jane Deleon is keeping something from him and decides to figure out the truth. Meanwhile, Dick takes Felicity along for a mission. Everything takes a turn for the worse, however, when Sara and Nyssa return to Starling City with news of Slade's escape. Can disaster be averted before the worst comes to past?_

_I might edit this down the line, because it didn't quite turn out the way I wanted it (perhaps I rushed it a bit). For now, though, I hope you enjoy this new chapter!_

* * *

**3x07: Reiteration**

Oliver leaned back in his seat as he waited for the rest of the board to clear out of the boardroom after the morning meeting. His eyes inconspicuously trailed the men and women who walked out of the room in a single line, talking among themselves. Several of them threw him a nod or a bright grin, encouraged to see him take a seat on the board once more.

He'd expected some drama about his return to QC, but so far he seemed to have most of their trust. Of course, he knew that trust was only skin deep. They trusted him because he held no real power, and therefor could not screw up the company a second time. Most of them seemed to believe he deserved a clean slate with QC, but none seemed to think his path to the top would be seamless and swift, if at all possible. Perhaps they would prefer if he remained in the periphery. Evidently, Oliver wasn't the only one aware of the immense work that lay ahead of him.

On the opposing end, too, stood Simon Cross and his followers. The rest of the board would not dare go against the CEO as long as the majority ownership of the company remained shrouded with uncertainty. He needed to learn the identity of the fifth owner. Oliver had been relieved to find Simon Cross absent at the meeting. Jane had informed him that the CEO had extended his business trip to oversee the Russian subsidiary and left her in charge.

Oliver's gaze flew over to the blonde at the head of the table, where she was humming to herself and going through her notes for the meeting. Power evidently seemed to fit her like a glove.

As he beheld her, Oliver couldn't help the gnawing sensation that entered his mind. For all intents and purposes, Jane Deleon held a certain similarity to another strong woman he'd helped reach the top of the food chain. Only Isabel Rochev had turned on him in the end and stabbed him viciously in the back. That misplaced trust had lost him QC.

In retrospect, there were signs he should have seen regarding Isabel. Such as her power mongering and cold demeanor. He couldn't quite shake the sensation that Jane would turn out to be just like Isabel. He saw no evident reason - though she insisted on it being out of kindness - for her to help him in this fashion. She could have lent him money, or introduced herself sooner as a player instead of flying half way across the world on a moment's notice. Was it possible he was making the same mistake again? Was he never to learn from his past?

When she'd come to his apartment the previous week, asking them to be friends, he had believed her. Oliver had believed the request was heartfelt and genuine, a cry for help almost. Since then they'd shared a few coffees and reminisced over old memories, and still nothing had felt amiss. In fact, it had felt almost_ too correct_. Oliver couldn't describe the feeling, but he knew he was missing a vital piece to the puzzle. There was something in her manner that suggested she was holding something back, like a sentence at the tip of her tongue that was never given voice. Despite everything, he was no closer to understanding this enigma, but was more certain than ever that he couldn't trust her until she voiced the truth.

As he saw Jane collect her papers at last, Oliver rose from his chair languidly. "A minute, Jane?"

The blonde glanced down at her wrist watch as she stepped towards him, her heels clicking against the cold floor almost rhythmically. "You can have two."

Oliver raised the file he'd brought with him and held it out for the woman. Her pale eyes danced across the manila file as she took it and opened it for inspection.

"A charity foundation?" Jane asked as her eyes flew across the content on the document. "Your mother used to run this back in the day, didn't she? I faintly remember something about it..."

Oliver nodded. "Before me and dad disappeared. She was involved in getting it started over a decade ago. My dad happily let her start the charity foundation under QC. When me and my father disappeared, she set it aside to focus all her energy on finding us. Not too long after I returned, she became the CEO and the foundation remained on the back burner until she… died."

Jane listened with keen ears and her expression softened with sadness as he finished. Careful not to step on any toes, she asked, "What do you want to with this?"

"Make an honest man out of myself," Oliver grinned.

"You want control over the foundation, and breathe new life into it?" the young woman questioned as she caught on to his train of thought. Her own smile grew to match his. "To have QC attached to charity once more would be good for business, not to mention good for the community as a whole. With you and QC as the front face… It would benefit everyone."

The man inclined his head and felt his heart elate at the notion he had presented. The idea had struck him one night as he had discussed different options with John and Felicity. It had felt like the right thing to do. Not only could he present means to help the people of his town, but it would serve a dual purpose in honoring the dead. "That's the point."

Jane gave him an appreciative nod. "You couldn't have chosen a better timing, either, what with Simon Cross in Moscow. Without his objection, I could enforce it by the end of the day. Congratulations, Mr Queen, you have a charity to run."

Oliver shook her hand and turned towards the exit with newfound hope.

Jane's enthralling tune called him back from the precipice. "Word of advice, though…" she waited until he turned back around before she continued, "You can't just be the _poster boy_ for this, Ollie. The board and the public will see right through it."

"I won't be one," Oliver promised.

* * *

"How did it go?" John asked as Oliver came down the stairs to the lair.

Over on the training mat, Dick was advising Laurel and Felicity on how to wield an Escrima stick in certain defense situations. All three of them turned at Diggle's words to watch the approaching man.

The hopeful smile on Oliver's face was an unaccustomed sight and made Felicity and John exchange a grateful look. He seemed less burdened right then, regardless how fleeting the moment might be, and it was a welcome sight for sore eyes.

"The charity foundation is mine to re-start," Oliver admitted with a feeble shrug as he stopped a few feet before his crowd.

Felicity took a step towards him. Her cobalt eyes burned bright with pride as she smiled widely, "Scared?"

He met her eyes as he chuckled low. "Shaking in my boots."

"You'll do great, Ollie," Laurel quipped as she closed the distance and pecked his cheek fondly. The others turned back to their business to give the couple an uninterrupted moment.

Oliver wrapped an arm around the woman's waist as he smiled down at her. "Thanks, Laurel."

"Listen... Lunch is over and I have to get back to the DA's office," the brunette said with a bright grin and reluctantly pulled back. She dropped her voice so that the others wouldn't hear, "How about we celebrate tonight, though?"

"It's a date," the bearded man nodded and watched as the slender woman headed up the stairs and out of sight. As soon as she was gone, he inhaled and turned back to his team. His eyes easily sought out John's, who was gazing at him with something akin to amusement in his dark pools.

"How's Maya?"

The older man's eyes warmed instantly. "Screaming her lungs out every opportunity she can find... She's wonderful."

Oliver patted his friend's shoulder as he walked over to Felicity's work station. He looked towards the training mat where the woman in question, dressed in sweats as ever more often these days, seemed in deep discussion with Dick.

"Felicity," Oliver called and inclined his head for her to join him. He didn't need to specify a reason as she headed over and stood on the other end of the table. "I called Walter on the way here. He still hasn't found out who the fifth owner of QC is."

The fair woman tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips. "Want me to try my luck?"

"Could you? Knowing their identity could help us tip the scales of the majority interest."

Felicity walked around her workstation with an air of laid-back confidence and sank into her chair with ease. "If their identity is out there, I'll find it." When Oliver lingered by her desk, she chanced a glance up at his strong features. "There's more?"

"There is," Oliver agreed. "I need to ask you a favor."

The sincerity to his voice caught Felicity's interest and she swirled her chair around to give him her undivided attention, "Okay…"

"It's about Jane Deleon," Oliver explained. He opened his mouth again, but words seemed to fail him. He sighed as he leaned back against her desk and his shoulders slumped momentarily. "I don't know if I can trust her, or if doing so will be a repetition of Isabel Rochev. I can't risk QC's future a second time, Felicity. I need to do this right... I know she's keeping something from me, and I need to know what it is."

Felicity offered a reassuring grin. "I'll see what I can dig up."

Oliver grimaced. "... I also need you on the inside."

At his words, the blonde froze. He closed his eyes tight as he saw the correct guess dance in her open eyes. "You want me to be her EA. Don't you?"

"She's still without an assistant," Oliver explained in an apologetic tone and grimaced as he heard his own words. "She's been looking for a good one, but without finding a proper candidate."

"Felicity is an A.R.G.U.S-agent. Just as you and Dig," Dick interrupted from the sidelines and they turned their attention to him. Dick's dark eyes whirled with emotion as he stepped towards the IT-station to share his opinion. "You're telling her to give that up for _your_ cause?"

Oliver shook his head in irritation of being interrupted. "I'm _asking_ her. She can say no."

"_Still_..." Dick's voice trailed off pointedly.

Oliver ignored the dark-haired man as he turned his gaze back to the seated lady. "It's only temporary. And I know... it's asking a lot. But I need someone I _trust_ to do this."

"I know," Felicity breathed without missing a beat.

She did know exactly what he meant, and what he was asking of her. Too much was at stake for any wrong turns, none could be afforded. They all needed to take precaution as they worked to regain Queen Consolidated or everything could be lost. Oliver had all but admitted she was the only one who could help him and the acknowledgment made her resistance melt like ice in summer. She couldn't deny him this when he was all but on his knees before her. "I'll do it."

Oliver flashed her a grin as he placed a calloused hand on her tee-clad shoulder. He squeezed and held her gaze to make sure she was truly onboard. When he saw no hint of resignation, he felt relief fill his soul. "If you want an out, let me know. I'll let you decide."

"Alright, now that that's settled..." John interrupted in a loud voice before another word could be said. He waved a couple of red items in the air. "Felicity, gloves on. Let's do a round. I want to see how you've evolved from training with Dick."

"He's an excellent teacher," Felicity said as she jumped from her seat. She ran a reassuring hand down her boyfriend's arm, and the latter exhaled to let his annoyance fade into the afternoon.

"That remains to be seen," Diggle snorted as the blonde joined him on the training mat.

Oliver exhaled in amusement as he watched his team members prepare to spar. He saw movement from his peripheral view and turned as Dick came to stand beside him.

"There's was one more thing," Dick breathed and his neck was stiff as he looked down at the other man. "I asked Felicity to help me on a mission tonight. It's simply recon, but I could use some IT-help."

"What mission?" Oliver felt his relief wash away and he turned to face the other man with a small scowl. When no explanation came, he felt his irritation flare. "…This is _my _team, Dick. If any member of my team intends to go out on a mission, I need to know about it. I'm aware you're new to this and used to working on your own... but we do this _together_."

"Eh..." Dick had clearly not expected any opposition and his eyebrows shot up towards his hairline with innocent surprise. "I don't need the team, I only need her. Had I needed you all, I _would_ have told you about it. This is something I have to do, Oliver. _Solo_."

"Not so solo apparently," Oliver disagreed in a low voice. He eyed the other man and came with a calculated guess, "This is more than patrolling the streets, isn't it?"

The dark-haired man remained reluctant to share information. "Look, you don't need to know the details. I told you; this is my own private business. I have _my _prerogative, and being on your team doesn't mean I'll abandon that."

"I am aware of that, Dick," Oliver spoke none too kindly. "I'm not asking you to, but we can't have opposing sides on the team."

"So learn to share," Nightwing argued with a shrug. "I don't want to create a rift. I _asked _Felicity to help me. It was entirely her decision."

"… Her decision," Oliver echoed as he clenched his jaw. He hated when his team members put themselves at risk of bodily harm or death, but agreed to it because he had no right to control their minds. Most of all, it seemed, Felicity had some strong opinions and he let her do her thing - sometimes reluctantly, as he had to do now. Gruffly, he spoke, "Keep the comms open when you're out there tonight. In case something happens."

Dick eyed his company. "Fair enough."

* * *

Hours later, long past sun set, Felicity crouched in the back of the black van as her eyes roamed across the tablet in her hand. "According to this, the coast is clear."

"And Officer Jones?" Dick asked as he adjusted his black domino mask and opened the back door to reveal the dark alley illuminated by the odd lamppost or two. The red, brick walls to the apartment complex stood a few feet away, and the fire escape close at hand for the night's adventure.

"He's in his flat. Alone," Felicity's eyes shot up as she saw her boyfriend in full gear skip out of the van. "Dick, wait."

He paused and turned back to her. "What is it?"

"You said... we had to do this to stop a corrupt police man, but you never explained further. I could use a little more information."

Dick exhaled slowly as if preparing for a mental hurdle. "_Corruption_, Felicity, can spread like plague through any city and turns every heart black as night. It needs to be stopped."

"Okay..." Felicity frowned at the odd explanation. "Throw me a bone, at least."

Dick leaned in through the open door with a grimace. At last, he nodded his head once and explained, "Remember the body I dropped a few months back? He gave the name of our Officer Jones. Said Jones might be important in catching the mafia."

Felicity frowned. "Laurel got Bauer sentenced and behind bars. The mafia is dismantled."

"Not the Bratva sector in Starling," Dick vehemently disagreed.

Felicity blinked as her brain kicked into gear. "The Russian mafia. That's who you're after? ...That's why you came to Starling City?"

"The man formerly in charge of the Bratva group here in Starling City, Alexi Leonov, was murdered by Deathstroke," Dick further explained. "It left an empty seat to fill. In these past months, someone has taken up that chief role, and I need to find out who it is. Evidently whoever it is knows the danger of being outspoken with their business. Too many masked vigilantes running wild, I suppose. I'll find out who it is, though."

"And... Officer Jones knows this _chief_?"

"Yes. Even if he won't give me a name, there should be something on his computers to tell the tale. That's why I needed you here. When I'm done, you and your _amazing_ skills are up," Dick winked and grabbed his sticks, prepared to scale the building and find his victim.

Felicity's expression fell as she once more read what went unsaid. "And when are you done? When you've beaten him to a bloody pulp or perhaps when you kill him?"

Dick paused on the precipice of their first argument and carried himself stiffly as he met her gaze, "I don't see myself as a bad man because I kill on occasion. I _never_ spill innocent blood... Sometimes you _need_ to kill to ensure a brighter tomorrow."

Felicity shook her head firmly and her pony tail followed her moving head. "That's not justice, though. And that's not-"

"_Felicity_…" the vigilante intercepted in a soft voice as he leaned closer once more. "Let's not argue over this."

"There are other paths, Dick," the blonde whispered, aware that she couldn't persuade him to see the light this time, but reluctant to stop trying.

"Not for everyone. Not always," the man disagreed with a sad smile. "Sometimes you just have to _do_."

"Or _don't!_" the woman argued and a fire filled her tone. "Who are you really angry with?"

Dick hesitated on the brink and pulled back. "I can't tell you. You've gone through enough these past months, Felicity, with your grandfather dying and… I don't want you to take on my pain on top of that."

"I won't. Honest. I can help you..."

Dick grimaced wearily. "I'm not Oliver Queen, Felicity. I know there is both light and darkness in me. I accepted that a long time ago, and I'm content with it. There's a balance in my heart between good and evil. That balance is who I am. I don't feel the need to change. To be a better man... Now, do you think you can help this flawed man?"

* * *

Felicity monitored her boyfriend from her protected position in the van as she watched him easily make his way up the fire escape to the apartment window in question. She watched as Nightwing pried open the window and snuck inside. Felicity sat silent as the dead of night and waited for the inevitable fight to sound over the comms. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear him win, or not, not knowing the methods he sometimes considered legitimate. All she knew was that this argument of theirs was far from over.

"Jones isn't here. And his computer is gone, too," Dick's voice suddenly spoke on the comms.

Felicity frowned as she checked her tablet. Before she could find anything, the door to the van was abruptly pulled open and several men appeared in the doorway. She shrieked as they pulled her out and she kicked to get free. Her foot hit one of the guys in the chest and she managed to get loose. Felicity ran further into the dark alley as she glanced around for an escape, but was faced with no option.

A swooshing sound echoed behind her, and she turned to see Nightwing land on the ground a few feet before her. She saw four men in black ahead, and could but guess at their intentions.

"Bought police men," Dick whispered under his breath and Felicity's bewildered eyes flew to him. He pointed his short weapon to the man furthest to the right. "Officer Jones... We were just coming to see you."

"I knew you were on to us when you killed my colleague, bat boy," the man in question snarled. "It was a matter of time before you acted. You won't be getting any information from me, however."

Before either side could act, one of the black-clad men suddenly fell backwards with a pained growl, a green arrow protruding from his shoulder.

Felicity's frantic eyes searched the skies for her hero and she saw the familiar, green frame on the roof top above. The Arrow fired a grappling hook across the divide and swung himself forward. Felicity raised her arm in expectancy as he came closer. His body connected with hers and she felt his strong arm take hold of his waist and she was pulled from ground with the motion. She held onto him tight as they swung onto the fire escape of the opposite building.

Felicity clutched onto Oliver's green sleeve as she glanced down at the sounds of battle that echoed from the streets. They saw Nightwing wield his escrima sticks with expertise as the men came at him with makeshift weapons of their own. He easily knocked out one of the men and ducked a blow from another.

Oliver gently pushed Felicity away so that he could raise his bow and fired an arrow into the battle. It caught another attacker in the shoulder.

Before he could draw another arrow, the last man standing, Officer Jones, took the window of opportunity presented by his comrade's sudden fall to pull out a gun and pull the trigger. The loud bang took them all by surprise.

As the bullet hit him, Dick felt pain invade his body and he fell to the ground. The last thing he heard before everything went black was Felicity's shocked scream in the distance.

* * *

Dick awoke with a start.

"Calm down…" a familiar voice breathed somewhere close to his ear, beckoning him to lower his guard. "Please, Richard… You're alright."

Dick struggled to focus his eyes on the slender woman beside his bed. He saw Felicity's worry swirl in the deep pools of her eyes and the sight made him force himself to slow his breathing back to normal. After a few minutes, he felt his heartbeat stabilize. As adrenaline and panic evaporated, he started to feel a throbbing pain in his right leg.

He tried to sit up, but a pair of strong hands pushed him back down again. He turned to the other side and saw Oliver hover above him with a grim expression on his strong features.

Dick did a double take and looked about him in the small room before he realized where he was: He was in a back room to the lair, decorated as a recuperation chamber with a comfortable bed in the center of the small room and a flowery lamp to brighten it up a bit. That last detail had been Felicity's idea.

"You were shot in the thigh," Oliver explained in a gruff tone when Dick re-focused on the man. "You lost some blood, but you'll recover. Now rest."

"Jones?"

"In custody, with the other police men who attacked you. Detective Lance will handle the case."

The dark-haired man glanced down at his bandaged leg and let his head fall back against the pillow. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to endanger her."

"I know," the terse growl persisted despite the assurance.

"It's alright," Felicity whispered and clutched her boyfriend's hand in her own smaller ones. "It was _my_ choice, remember?"

Oliver's gaze lingered on the blonde woman. "Let's leave the discussion for when he's recovered. Let him rest."

* * *

After a night of worried vigilance by Dick's bedside, Felicity found herself back at her old workplace bright and early the very next morning. QC looked just the same as she remembered it, and the receptionist at the front entrance even greeted her with a familiar nod.

She rode the elevator to the right floor and turned left as she exited. She passed what had previously been Isabel Rochev's office, and walked down the hallway to her target. She stopped out of sight from the room and took a moment to re-collect herself.

Felicity wasn't particularly looking forward to being an EA once more, but knew the prize could be higher than the cost if she didn't. Besides, it was a favor for a good friend. Almost nervously, she glanced down at her chosen outfit for the day and smoothed out a crease. She wore black jeans and a pale-blue blouse, matched with blue heels. She'd considered a skirt, but somehow it had felt wrong.

Pulling herself from her thoughts, Felicity stepped forward and entered the small office. She saw a middle-aged man seated on a chair by the wall in the secretary office and she greeted him awkwardly. He waved in response and sank back into his seat.

"You must be Ms Smoak!" a decidedly British accent filled the air then.

Felicity whirled in the direction of the main office and at the blonde woman who held the door open. "I am…" she agreed and stepped inside. The glass door closed behind her and she followed the young, sharply-dressed blonde further into the office. "How did you know?"

"You're clearly a friend of Oliver's," Jane said as she stepped around her desk and waved for her company to have a seat. "Pretty people tend to surround themselves with other pretty people."

Felicity blinked in confusion as she sat down. "Are you… flirting with me?"

Jane's pale eyes widened barely noticeably and she barely suppressed her amusement. "Let's avoid a sexual harassment charge on the first day, shall we? I knew it was you because it was either you or that middle-aged man out there waiting for a meeting about accountings. He didn't strike me as a 'Felicity'."

Felicity suppressed the urge to glance back at the man as she inclined her head slowly. "No, he did not. I'm sorry about the… I didn't mean to insinuate-"

Jane waved her concern off. "That's quite alright, dear. While you are my type, I was only trying to be funny. How about we start over? I'm Jane Deleon."

Felicity shook the outstretched hand over the desk and was taken aback by the strong grasp. "Felicity Smoak."

The COO leaned back in her seat once more. "Ollie said you might be able to help me manage this office. I understand, however, that you're more inclined to IT."

"I started off in the IT department, but I was Oliver's EA for awhile after that."

"An excellent one, I am told," Jane said and nodded down to her papers. "... I have a proposition for you, Ms Smoak. We both know this is only temporary until I find another Executive Assistant, or Oliver reclaims the company. I only need you part-time, however."

Felicity nodded sharply. "Alright."

"Which is why I want to offer you a part-time position as my EA, joint with a part-time position in the IT department."

"_Oh_!"

"I talked to your former boss in the IT department and he seemed inclined to agree that QC needs your capable hands to take care of our mainframe once more," Jane explained herself. "We can go over the details later, but the offer means that you would occasionally work on the bigger technological issues, but a step up from your old job. The position could turn into a full-time job later on if you wish it. Unless you want to stay on as Ollie's EA. Whichever you prefer."

Taken aback, Felicity searched for any words to cover her brief lapse but ended up stuttering for a response. At length, she nodded her head. "When do I start?"

* * *

"_Felicity_?!" Dick called out as he came to again in his little chamber in the back of the lair, having been awoken by a nightmare of last night's events.

Diggle kept him on strong pain killers to help him manage the first day after the injury. His head was groggy, to say the least, but he still felt quite clear in the ole' head. He felt his pain throbbing beneath the white bandages, but there was no ache to accompany it, for which he was grateful.

John entered the room then, carrying a tray with anti-septics and bandages. He swiftly offered, "She's at work."

"_Ah_… I see," Dick lay down once more and tried to keep the room from spinning as he watched John prepare to switch his bandages. "Is he always bossing her around like that? Telling her what to do, I mean?"

"Not these days," Diggle disagreed as he focused on removing the wrappings.

Dick snorted. "Are you sure?"

"I know you're drugged right now, man," John said as he wiped the skin area clean of clotted blood, "but I think you have the wrong idea of Oliver Queen."

"Sorry?" Dick blinked and ran a hand across his forehead.

Diggle re-wrapped the wound without another word. When he finished, he pulled back his chair to face his patient. John's eyes shone with honesty as he asked in a gentle tone, "Do you know why I do this, Dick? Why I'm part of the team, I mean."

The younger man shook his head groggily.

"When Oliver invited me to join his team, I did it because I knew he needed someone to help keep him on the right side of life. To keep him from losing his humanity as he fought the darkness of the world. When Felicity joined us… She took over that role, in a way."

Dick frowned in confusion as he tried to grasp at the words the other man was uttering, but they seemed to evade him like sand running through his fingers.

"Oliver and I... We can't do this without her," John said in a sweet tone. "And we won't let her lose her light after everything she's done for us. We won't stand idle by if she's consumed by darkness."

Finally seeing where things were heading, the dark-haired man supplied, "I don't want her to, either. Last night, I never intended…"

"I know," Diggle reassured and his voice held such conviction, Dick exhaled in relief. "...and so does Oliver."

"I get what you're saying, Dig. I mean I think I do, things are a bit fuzzy in here..." Dick waved his hand around his head. "But I am who I am… and that won't change."

"I know you won't change," John admitted at length. "But she'll want that for you. Not change necessarily, but embracing another part of you. And if you want to keep her love, you ought to consider it."

Dick frowned as he tried to think straight. He struggled against the pain killers deceptive hold, and firmly spoke, "...I won't take her down with me if I should fall. You have my word on that, at least. I can't promise anything else right now."

John patted the younger man's shoulder as he rose from the chair. "You should rest."

* * *

"Thanks for lunch, Ollie," Laurel breathed as they reached their destination. She stopped and turned back to the taller man. The peach color of her dress illuminated the different shades in her deep, vibrant eyes as she looked up at him. "It was sweet of you."

Oliver grinned as he rocked back on his heels. He shrugged once and felt the light breeze caress his cheeks as he glanced up at the grand building beside them.

"Sure," he said and turned his gaze back to her. "My pleasure."

Laurel bit her bottom lip and asked, "How about I cook dinner tonight? My place."

"I have to be at A.R.G.U.S tonight."

The woman nodded her head slowly. One of her slender hands reached up and swept a strand of hair behind her ear. "I appreciate this, Ollie… Taking it slow, I mean. But, I…"

Oliver heard what went unsaid and hurriedly placed his palms on either side of her arms and gently squeezed. "Tomorrow? I could take you and your dad out to dinner."

"You're not cooking yourself?" the woman teased.

The man snorted. "I won't risk giving either of you food poison."

"Dinner tomorrow sounds like a plan," Laurel cooed as she stepped closer. She pressed a kiss to his lips and lingered for another second. Her perfume and proximity was almost intoxicating, but Oliver didn't lose himself to the moment. He restrained himself as he gave her a final peck. She stepped back with a widening smile.

"I'll call you later," the brunette assured as she turned and walked back to work.

As he watched her head up the stone steps towards the grand entrance, Oliver pondered the strange sensation in his heart. Though he had promised Laurel to give them both a chance, he knew he was still keeping some distance to her. He wanted to let her in, but something restrained him. His guilt held him back like an invisible hand, and he was grateful she was understanding towards him. He needed more time to accept this and to lower his walls to someone he could care about.

As he lingered on the sidewalk, he felt his phone vibrate in his coat pocket. He withdrew the item and looked down at the Caller-ID. Oliver frowned. He quickly answered and pressed the phone to his ear.

"_Sara_?"

* * *

Oliver waited outside the lair with an impatient mind that threatened to wreak havoc of his soul. He felt on edge and his shoulders were stiff as he leaned back against the wall. If Sara was back in town so soon after departing, trouble was bound to be on its way. Oliver feared the worst.

Without warning, the blonde suddenly stood before him. She was dressed in black jeans and a simple top hugged her abs. She looked just as he remembered her, and the image of her unscathed figure calmed his nerves a fraction. Before she could speak, Oliver pulled the smaller woman into an embrace. She exhaled slowly as she returned the hug.

"Isn't this a heart warming scene?" an amused voice spoke and Oliver pulled back to see Nyssa al Ghul lingering in the alley beside them. The brunette warrior was also clad in normal clothing instead of the assassin outfit, and bowed her head in silent greeting. Oliver clenched his jaw, but returned the gesture. If Nyssa had accompanied Sara, things were worse than he feared.

Sara glanced back at the other woman before she faced her ex-boyfriend. "I wish were didn't have to drop in on you like this. We came straight to the lair… only to find it abandoned."

Oliver tried to keep his rising fear under control. "We needed a new hideout. You saw how Slade demolished the first lair... Why are you here?"

Nyssa's reply came swift like a river as she stepped closer, "Let us go inside before we explain ourselves, lest unwanted ears can listen."

Oliver scowled but followed her command as he turned towards the locked door.

* * *

Oliver practically ran down the steps with the two women close behind him. Their steps echoed against the metal and drew the attention of Diggle who stepped into the main area. The big man eyed Oliver's tense expression before his gaze traveled to the women.

John's eyes widened in surprise as the trio reached the bottom of the steps and joined him. "Sara?"

"John," the woman smiled in greeting. "It's nice to see you again. I wish it was under other circumstances."

Before another second could be wasted, Oliver whipped around and faced their guests. His fixed gaze flew from one to the other as he growled, "What's happened? Why are you in Starling?"

"Yesterday news reached the League," Nyssa explained and exchanged a glance with the blonde woman by her side. "We thought it prudent to find you as soon as possible."

"Tell me what it is," Oliver requested and clenched his fist by his side as he waited on baited breath for the inevitable. Storm clouds were evidently forming on the horizon so soon after the last ordeal, and he tried to prepare himself for the thunder that would follow.

The blonde warrior pursed her lips and sighed deeply. Sensing the urgency to his voice, Sara swiftly breathed, "It's Slade. Our informant tells us he's escaped from the prison cell on Lian Yu."

Oliver closed his eyes tight as he held his breath. The news bounced back and forth in his head, overshadowing all of his other concerns. It was worse than he'd expected, and he was no stranger to what this meant. Slade would be coming for him, and the mad man needed to be stopped before he could do more harm than he'd already managed to inflict.

With a set jaw, Oliver opened his eyes and looked at his silent company as they waited in the tense silence for his reaction.

"We need more answers," he growled unkindly.

* * *

After receiving the news, Oliver hadn't wasted any time. He needed to keep the people he cared about safe, and find a way to once more stop Slade Wilson. It was as simple as that in theory, but Oliver knew reality was far from simple.

The first thing he'd done was to call Felicity and asked her to spread the word. He had then brought Sara, Nyssa and Diggle to A.R.G.U.S where he knew he'd get more answers about the recent development.

Amanda Waller met them with chin held high and hair, as always, pulled back into a tight up-do. The clever look in her eyes betrayed what hid beneath her frosty exterior and she let them into her office without a word.

When the door closed behind her, shutting out the rest of the world, Oliver immediately spoke, "How long ago?"

Amanda stepped around her desk and with each passing second, Oliver felt his temper rising. She sat down and looked between the guests in her office.

"Slade Wilson escaped his cell last week," she explained at last. "My people have hunted him ever since, but he's eluded or killed all the agents I've sent out."

Oliver leaned over her desk and held her gaze. "Why didn't you tell me?!" he growled.

"I believed I could handle the problem without you."

Diggle frowned and crossed his arms over his wide chest. "Meaning you thought you could kill him without Oliver's help."

"I believed Oliver would object to that plan, yes," Amanda agreed in a low, controlled tone.

The door opened with a sharp yank and everyone turned as Felicity stepped inside. Her cheeks were red and she was panting, as if having run all the way there. She was clad sharply for a day in the office and her heels clicked against the floor as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "Sorry I'm late!"

She stepped up between Nyssa and Sara and offered both women a greeting grin. Sara squeezed her shoulder wordlessly and warmth touched her pale eyes despite the darker topic at hand.

"What did I miss?" Felicity asked as her eyes sought for Oliver.

The man pushed away from the desk and turned his back to the group as Amanda explained, "Slade Wilson escaped last Thursday. He killed all the guards at the prison and got off The island."

"Sounds easy," John suggested with a low voice. "_Too_ easy. Did he have help?"

"According to our intel, yes. We don't know who," 'The Wall' clarified.

"Do we know where he is now?" Felicity asked and looked about her company for answers.

Nyssa chipped in with a remark, "My sources suggest Slade was making his way back towards the States. They lost him on the way, but I think we all know his destination."

"He has a week head start," Diggle sighed. "You should have given us the information earlier so that we could have prepared for this."

"I am aware, Mr Diggle," Amanda hissed as she rose from her seat. Her cold eyes held the man's as she continued, "It does not change anything, however. My order is still effective." the woman in charge glanced over to Oliver. "And you always follow my orders, Oliver... Don't you?"

The man raised his head stiffly but kept his back towards them all as he processed the news and its meaning. He didn't otherwise acknowledge the cryptic threat that lingered in the air between them.

"Order…?" Felicity interrupted. Her small voice hid none of her trepidation.

Amanda turned her attention back to the blonde. "Slade Wilson must be terminated."

Nyssa turned her gaze to the back of Oliver's head. "He should have been terminated last time."

From her stiffening pose beside the warrior, Felicity shook her head slowly. Her eyes closed tight as she raised her voice, "It would have been the wrong decision."

Oliver shut his eyes as he heard the blonde's disagreement. Like a beacon in the dark, she was the only one who shed some light on the situation. Still, the ocean was dark and the light all but lost in the vastness of the moment.

"The League agrees with A.R.G.U.S on this," Nyssa continued. "Slade is too dangerous to remain alive."

"… That's why you two are here," Felicity spoke again. Her voice sounded off, almost unnatural. "Not to warn Oliver, but to make sure he follows through with the plan."

"I know of Oliver's reluctance to kill," Nyssa said. "I will perform the kill myself if necessary."

"Imprison him again," Felicity pleaded to deaf ears. "... Sara? Please?"

With a sigh, Sara joined in the chorus. "I'm sorry, Felicity, but I agree with Nyssa. You saw what Slade did to Starling City and to Oliver's family… We can't let him wreak havoc again. The only options are to kill or imprison him. We imprisoned him and he managed to escape. If we imprison him again, he could end up escaping again… and again. He won't stop. And he won't stop trying to kill Oliver, either. Nothing will change unless one side slips up, and Slade is too focused on vengeance to lose. The only way to assure Ollie's safety, as well as everyone else's, is to change plans and _kill_ Slade."

"_Fine_…" Felicity breathed in defeat and the unexpected breath made Oliver turn back. Her clear eyes were focused on him already, filled with anguish and trepidation. She held his gaze as her voice lowered an octave and danced with darkness. "You do what you feel is necessary to stop Slade. But don't lose sight of the bigger picture. Of what truly matters…"

Oliver held her gaze for another couple of seconds with a detached look in his own eyes. The others could see the mute conversation between their gazes, before the man finally inclined his head sharply. The decision was made. Felicity lowered her gaze as he turned his attention to the others.

Oliver's jaw was tense as he announced, "Slade's not to be killed."

Nyssa raised an eyebrow as her gaze flew from Felicity to Oliver. "You are wasting time with this reticence! I advice you to unmake this decision… Before Slade Wilson kills us all."

"I've defeated him twice already. I _can_ do it again," Oliver fiercely argued as he held her gaze.

Nyssa shook her head. "Do not make the wrong assumption in thinking that _defeating_ the man meant _winning_. You have only prolonged your loss."

Oliver took a step forward as he brushed off her warning. "Let's not waste more time arguing over this. We need to take action. Amanda, keep all eyes and ears open for news about Slade's return." - 'The Wall' seemed reluctant to follow someone's orders, but stepped out to issue orders as Oliver turned to the next persons - "Sara, Nyssa… Protect Quentin. We don't know who or how Slade will come after, so I don't want to take any chances." - The women quickly exited the small office as Oliver turned to Diggle. - "Dig… Call Lyla. Make sure she and Maya gets out of town safely. You should go with them."

John smiled reassuringly as he shook his head. "My place is by your side, Oliver."

Oliver returned the grin gratefully. In his darkest hours, he needed his friend's support.

"I should get back to the office before Jane wonders where I am," Felicity spoke up as she stepped over to the men.

Oliver slowly turned his head in her direction. "I need you at the lair tonight. Head straight there after work. Okay?"

Felicity nodded and didn't put up any argument "Okay. I'll call when I get there."

Oliver offered her a meek smile as he turned towards the door, but the blonde called him back, "_Hey_!"

The man glanced over his shoulder at Felicity and Diggle, and noted how they wore matching expressions of worry. Felicity's eyes shone with emotion. "You made the right choice."

Oliver inclined his head. "I hope so."

"You'll stop him," the blonde whispered encouragingly. "Just... keep a level head, Oliver."

* * *

An hour later, Oliver glanced down at the new text message on his phone as he walked to and fro in the apartment. "Sara's with your father. He's safe."

Laurel exhaled slowly as she stepped back into her living room and sank onto the wide sofa. "Thank God for that…"

"Lyla and Maya got out of town safely, too," Oliver spoke in a weary voice as he moved to stand guard by the windows. His stoic features were illuminated by the pale moon outside and there was no mistaking his tense fear. "Diggle, Roy and Dick are in the lair. Felicity is working overtime at QC."

"They're all safe, Oliver," Laurel said in a soft tone meant to encourage him.

"For now," he tensely agreed, not so easily swayed.

The brunette pondered the situation before she slowly rose from her seat. "You should be with them."

"I won't leave you," Oliver rejected her proposition without batting an eye. "Slade took you last time, Laurel. It's highly probable he intends to do the same this time."

"I've been training since then," the woman contended as she joined him by the windows and looked out at the quiet evening. "He won't get me as easily this time around."

"I'll stay with you tonight," Oliver said firmly and sighed as he ran a weary hand across his face. "... When I last saw him, Slade said he would escape. I didn't think... I should have seen this coming. I just didn't think something like this could happen so soon after his capture. I thought we were safe from him, but now he's coming for me one more. I don't need to search, he'll find me."

"… And when he does?"

Oliver shook his head without meeting her gaze. "I won't kill him. I told you already."

Laurel hesitated as she gazed up at his impassive profile. "I think you're making a mistake."

"I've beaten him twice," Oliver replied swiftly.

"I'm not saying you're not capable of it," Laurel prodded gently. "But he killed your mother. Made Thea a stranger to you. Kidnapped me and Felicity. What more can he do to you before you entirely lose yourself? Ollie… You have to embrace the darkness that's inside of you and use it. _Fight_… _Kill_ if necessary. Before Slade kills everyone you love. It's the only way to save everyone."

Oliver looked down at the woman by his side and pondered her suggestion. Her words entered his mind and settled there with old ideas he'd abandoned long ago. It was a life he had struggled hard with to leave in the past, a path he could only walk down if he wanted to lose himself to the Arrow-part of his persona. Though it was part of the past, it held some allure, just as Laurel's words rang clear with truth.

Oliver knew he was caught between a rock and a hard place. With Slade, there was no right decision to be made. What had once been a strong friendship had been corrupted and tarnished by Shado's death. He knew there was no turning back, but that didn't mean he could let go of the past entirely either. Any decision he made meant endangering himself and those he loved, but this time around he would take strength from the people in his proximity. He had nothing to gain from pushing everyone away, he'd learned that lesson the hard way. The decision stood firm, and he would not budge from this. He would do the right thing, for once.

He reached down and squeezed Laurel's hand in his own. "Nothing's going to happen to you. Do you understand?" Oliver let go of her hand and reached for his cell phone. "I should call Dig. See if he's heard anything from A.R.G.U.S."

* * *

Felicity moved in a flurry as she unlocked her door with one hand and pressed her phone to her ear with her other one. She listened to Oliver's voice mail as she practically threw off her coat and purse in a messy bundle in her hall.

When she finally heard the beep, she said, "Hey, Oliver, it's me. I'm running a little bit late, but I got out of QC, at last. I had to run home to get spare clothes for me and Dick. I'm on way to the lair, though. I should be there in ten. I hope you not answering means you got to Laurel and isn't lying in the streets somewhere, bleeding. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I can't get rid of the mental images… _Oh_! I know this isn't exactly on your mind at the moment, but I checked for clues on the fifth owner of QC and the trail led me to a fake identity in Madrid. I dug a little deeper, but couldn't find a name. I found an alter ego, however: _The Queen_. I'll try and find more after we stop Slade. Call me when you hear this. Please? Bye."

She rushed into her bedroom, forgetting to turn on the lights overhead as she scrambled to get ready. She threw random clothes out of her drawers and onto the bed. She only needed a few things so that she and Dick could stay safely in the sanctity of their lair. She knew every second was sacred, and that danger could be lurking behind every corner. But she was also aware that no precaution in the world could save her if Slade Wilson put his mind to killing her. It wasn't a reassuring thought exactly, but the truth nonetheless.

She finished packing the bag just as she received a text from Roy asking her if she was on the way. She quickly texted him a reply as she slung the bag over one shoulder and stepped back into the living room. She hit send and took a second simply to breath. She was aware that her heart was beating a mile a minute, and probably had since learning the news of Slade's unexpected escape. The man was a menace, and she'd been too close to him once already. She had no intention of relieving those fateful hours that led up to his capture.

Felicity took a step towards the hall, when something hard struck her across the head. She fell heavily to the floor beside her sofa and the world spun around her. Pain flashed through her head as she tried to focus on her surroundings. She managed to roll over on her back and blinked to clear her view. Her sight came in and out of focus sporadically as she tried to gaze through the gaze that seemed to surround her.

A figure stepped out from the shadows and into the pale moonlight that illuminated half of her flat. The man was dressed in black, and had dark hair and beard somewhat longer than she remembered it.

Slade Wilson crouched beside his victim and Felicity glanced down to a light source in the palm of his right hand. She squinted and realized it was a lit match in his hand. The small flame danced to an unheard song.

The Aussie grinned down at her, and Felicity felt her blood turn to ice in her veins and her stomach churl with fear. Slade leaned closer and breathed in his raspy accent, "No smoke… without fire."

* * *

**To be continued!**


	8. No Smoke Without Fire

_A/N: And this did not turn out quite the way I wanted it to, but there's a lot going on here and more to come still. I've also made some major alterations to a few episodes down the line (the changes sort of wrote themselves), and the fall out of this will be interesting, indeed. I've realized, of course, that the entire season will be mainly focused on different stories for Oliver and Felicity - with the others getting different story lines, but perhaps not the time I had intended from the start. Maybe I can make amends for them. We'll see!_

_Synopsis for Episode 8: Slade's return to Starling City comes with a high prize: Felicity Smoak is targeted in Slade's revenge against Oliver. With her life hanging in the balance, can Oliver and the team save her on time? In the middle of the chaos, Thea makes her official return._

_Review if you wish it (note that I encourage constructive criticism - but do not enjoy bashing. If you hate, just leave)! I hope you enjoy this, either way._

_Also: Thank you to reviewer MamaJ who pointed out a mistake that snuck in there in the last chapter! I know better, of course, but I have no excuse for the little error. It's fixed now. Still, cheers!_

* * *

**3x08: No Smoke Without Fire **

Oliver stepped back into Laurel's living room and saw the woman's slender frame beside the windows. Laurel was illuminated by the pale moon outside as she stared out at the night lights, eyes clouded with thoughts he couldn't read.

Oliver cleared his throat and briefly waved the phone in his hand. "No news from Diggle or A.R.G.U.S." The cell phone sounded a soft ping in that second and he looked down at the missed call. He swiftly excused himself, "Felicity called while the line was busy. I should call her."

Laurel distantly nodded and Oliver once more walked out of the room on quiet feet. He felt the tension linger in his shoulders and neck like a chain dragging him down. There was no point in trying to relax either, not as long as Slade remained a threat. Once the man was captured, he'd lower his guard.

He hit speed dial as he searched for solitude in the apartment. After five long signals, a voice finally answered the call. "...Oliver."

Oliver froze and felt as if his heart stopped inside of his chest. At length, he found his voice and snarled, "_Slade_!"

The Aussie took his time replying, teasing him with raspy confidence, "Did I not say I would escape?"

"Where's Felicity?!"

"We were waiting for this call, kid. I was telling your girl she was hoping in vain. That you were otherwise engaged and wouldn't come to her rescue."

"_If you've touched_-"

"You're too late!" the harsh words hit Oliver like a punch in the guts and his head tried to wrap itself around the notion. Mockingly, Slade continued, "Last time I told you we're not done until _I _say so, and this is far from over... Now, do you have any last words to say to your Felicity?"

Oliver heard muffled commotion on the phone and a rustle of fabric before a woman's voice greeted his ear. "O-Oliver…?" Felicity's voice was panicked and trembling.

"_Felicity_!" Oliver breathed as ice-cold fear clasped around his heart with deadly intent. "Are you hurt?"

"No..."

As panic wrapped itself around his brain, Oliver felt he needed to reassure her. He had to calm her fears somehow, and right now he could but do it with words: "Listen, to me: It's going to be alright! I'm coming for you!"

"_No_, Oliver!" the woman pleaded in a tone that held more resignation than he'd been prepared for. Filled with turmoil, like a tornado running wild, she tried to weather the storm, "Stay away. Stay safe. Oliver, I-"

With no warning, their conversation was abruptly cut short. Oliver tried not to climb the walls as he heard her agonized moan. Slade soon returned to the phone, "You won't be seeing her again, Oliver. Not alive, at least. You can collect her body in her home any minute now... Remember: _I keep my promises_. Goodbye for now,_ brother_."

With those words, the phone call disconnected. Oliver glared down at the dead item for a second. His furious thoughts swirled like a whirlwind in his head and he failed to keep them in a straight line. The only thing that shone clear and bright inside his head was the realization that this was all his fault. Slade had Felicity, Slade intended to _kill_ Felicity... and Oliver _needed_ to save her.

He flew towards the exit.

Laurel heard his mad rush and stepped into the hallway. "What's wrong? Is it Slade?"

"He's got Felicity!" Oliver snarled as he grabbed his prepared duffle bag, filled with his Arrow costume and weapon, and threw open the front door.

"_Go_!" Laurel breathed, her own tone filled with palpable panic.

Oliver didn't need to be told twice as he ran out of the flat and prayed he wasn't too late.

* * *

Oliver ran more than one red light that dark night as he willed his motorcycle to go faster towards its goal. He needed to get to Felicity. He needed to save her. If anything happened to her… He couldn't even let himself finish the thought. It was in itself unthinkable and simply not a viable option. Felicity would be fine. He would be on time and he would save her.

A strange light caught his attention from further ahead in the night and tugged him viciously out of his thoughts. The sight made his heart plummet and his motorcycle came to a screeching halt atop a hill. From several blocks in the distance, he saw gigantic flames reach towards the starry skies. Oliver's throat went dry at the realization: Felicity's apartment complex was aflame.

"… _Felicity_," he breathed and the word itself was painful to utter, wrapped almost in barbed wire as it passed his chapped lips.

He inhaled and once more sped off towards her home as fast as he was able, hoping against all hope that he wasn't too late, after all.

* * *

Dressed in his Arrow gear, Oliver leaped from one rooftop to the other as he came as close as was possible to her apartment building. The fire department was already present on the streets below and had managed to get the raging fires under control. From his vantage point, Oliver could see what appeared to be a burned hole where Felicity's apartment had once been. The charcoal color had spread like a virus across what remained of the walls. Several more apartments seemed touched and destroyed by the flames, but the building still stood in the dead of night. The only place entirely demolished was her home…

Oliver swallowed past the bile in his throat as he watched the scene. He distantly heard police sirens blaring in a messy cacophony with the fire trucks down below. A large crowd was gathered in a semi-circle outside the line of police cars and fire trucks. Even from a distance he heard people crying and screaming, probably having had their homes partially demolished by devouring fire.

Oliver felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and languidly withdrew it. He pressed it to his ear and waited for the voice to speak.

Detective Lance's voice was gruff and void of emotion, unusually strained for the man in question, "Are you here?"

Oliver glanced over the ledge towards the streets, where he saw the Detective walk to and fro beside his police car. "I just arrived at the scene. What can you tell me?"

Quentin drew a deep breath before he threw himself into a winded explanation, "The coroner wheeled a body out of her apartment a few minutes ago. It was badly burned, beyond recognition," As he heard the news, Oliver's gaze searched for the ambulances and found them off to the side. There was saw no sign of Felicity, however. With half an ear, he listened to the Detective's voice, "But it… It looks like it's her. You should prepare yourself for the worst."

Oliver felt his heart drop again and struggled to keep his voice even. More than ever before, he was grateful for the voice filter that masked his real voice, "Do me a favor, Detective. Send me a copy of the coroner's report and anything else the police might find."

Quentin cleared his throat and a sliver of emotion spilled into their conversation, "Listen, I-I need answers first… Do you know anything about this?"

Oliver gritted his teeth. "Slade Wilson is back."

There was a brief pause. "I'll get you the reports you need as soon as possible."

* * *

A few hours later, Roy blinked down at the computer screen and shook his head incredulously. "…Dead?" His voice didn't sound as his own, broken and disbelieving, and the question was met with silence. He turned in his seat and gazed up at the rest of his company, gathered in the high-tech lair below ground. Roy hopefully searched their eyes for an explanation to undo everything they'd just learned.

Oliver, Diggle, Dick, Sara, Nyssa and Laurel all stood in silent mourning, with different expressions of turmoil and grief on their faces. The tension in the secret lair was practically palpable and everyone kept their gazes low. No one dared voice the truth in the coroner's report; a sample of blood had confirmed that the dead body found was none other than Felicity Megan Smoak. The preliminary report suggested she'd been killed before the flames had consumed her, penetrated by a sharp blade through the heart.

"Felicity can't be…" Roy's voice trailed off.

Dick closed his eyes tight where he stood on the other side of the blonde's workstation. "_She is_." The dark-haired man opened his eyes and met Oliver's gaze across a divide that had never seemed wider. Whatever he saw in the opposing depths made him take a limping step forward and point in the direction of the monitors. "You read it yourself… The evidence is clear. The body was identified as Felicity. Slade Wilson killed her. It's over…"

Though the words cut into his flesh, scraping away both blood and bone, Oliver was reluctant to agree. He shook his head slowly and his eyes closed on their own accord. He'd read the report over and over, but still the written words didn't make sense. The possibility that Slade had won… It was unthinkable. He sighed heavily as the feelings crashed over him, and he struggled to keep his emotions at bay. This was all his fault… _His _fault…

From his left, Sara sniffled. She wiped at a stray tear as she glanced up at her ex-boyfriend. "What do you want us to do?"

Oliver didn't respond. The others exchanged glances as they watched the man who stood stiff as a statue. He looked tightly strung, so tight that he could snap at any second.

Diggle cleared his throat as he watched his friend's impassive profile. "… Oliver?"

The man flinched in surprise, as if finally pulled back to life. His eyes met the older man's briefly. His azure eyes swirled with unspoken words desperate to escape and he shook his head distantly. "...I need to be alone."

When he took a step backwards, Laurel approached him. Careful not to overstep any boundaries, she spoke in a soft voice, "Ollie, I-"

As she tried to help, Oliver visibly recoiled towards the staircase. His voice was harsh and unkind, like rough sandpaper, as he repeated, "I said: _Alone_."

No one tried to stop him a second time, seeing his pain only all too clear in his eyes, swimming with unshed tears. Instead, they all watched as Oliver fled the lair and let the silence reign.

* * *

"Wake up, Felicity."

Felicity's head felt filled with lead as she searched for a source of light to bring clarity to confusion. She felt like her brain was attempting to step through a thick layer of syrup without actually moving forward. What was going on? She couldn't quite remember, or understand why she felt this out of sort.

The voice that beckoned her forward sent shivers down her spine. Her hazy mind vaguely recognized the tune, but she couldn't quite identify it. The name remained at the tip of her tongue, waiting to take form. Whoever it was, she had a bad feeling about what awaited her.

"Open your eyes, Blondie."

The realization slapped her across the face then and left a burning sensation in her body. _Slade Wilson_. It all came back to her now. He'd somehow escaped from his cell on The Island and returned to Starling City where he intended to finish his vengeance against Oliver. She had been chosen as his target to accomplish this dark feat.

Felicity's mind was at once alert and panic spread through her body like a wildfire on a plain.

The woman opened her eyes and blinked to clear the haze that surrounded her. Remembering her training with John and Dick, she first tried to figure out her whereabouts. She was somewhere inside, with grey walls seemingly closing in on her. She'd never been closer to feeling claustrophobic and the feeling was overwhelming. The floor beneath her cheek was cold and barren. The air smelled of iron and… coconut? No, not coconut, but decisively _foreign_.

Her heart fell inside her chest as she recognized the telltale scent. Slade had taken her back to Lian Yu, the hellish island which had been Oliver's 'prison' for 5 long, nightmarish years.

She slowly sat up and her eyes travelled along the walls around her. She was in a prison cell. The very prison cell A.R.G.U.S had designed to keep Slade Wilson locked away from the outside world. Shaped like an angular horseshoe, the cell left her quite a lot of room to move. Along one of the sides stood a scrawny bed and on the other was a basic toilet to suit her needs.

Felicity, herself, sat on the floor in the middle of the 'horse shoe', and her eyes traveled beyond the steel bars to the lone figure that stood guard. Slade cut quite the intimidating figure a few feet beyond the locked bars, his dark eyes dancing with glee as he curiously beheld her.

Felicity swallowed past her fears as she felt a sudden stab of pain shoot through her head. She reached up and tenderly touched the back of her head. As she brought her hand down, she noticed her fingers were stained with a few drops of red. She vividly remembered he had knocked her unconscious back in her flat, and her brain still functioned enough to register the possible concussion.

Her blue shirt was stained with another couple of blood drops that seemed to glare up at her. She noticed she was bare feet and her painted toenails seemed to glare up at her accusatorially. She should have worn sneakers to work, instead of heels she'd kicked off at first chance inside her home. Then again, she hadn't known a psychopath would kidnap her before dinner when she'd gotten dressed today…

Felicity pondered the idea. If Slade had brought her all the way to Lian Yu, it was most likely a new day already. He could have kept her sedated for longer, of course. She had no way of knowing how many days had passed, nor what hour of the day it was.

Last time she'd seen Slade, he'd been furious at Oliver for turning the game on him. When his goons had kidnapped her and brought her before their leader, Slade had shown neither compassion nor delight, simply a mad determination to defeat his enemy.

The memory confused Felicity now, as she saw the dark-haired man smirk down at her. His eyes danced with a knowledge she did not share, nor wished to know.

Though she had helped Oliver bring Slade down, she hadn't expected to be made into a specific target because of her actions. Perhaps she should have been more cautious and expected the worst from the man who thrived in hurting people who'd wronged him.

Adamant not to show her panic, Felicity glared up at the man and finally found her voice, "… What do you want with me?"

"I'd say we both know the answer to that question, Ms Smoak."

"… You won't kill him," the blonde breathed in a low, dark voice. "He'll come for him."

At her meek attempt, Slade merely snorted and threw her one final glance before he turned to the exit. Felicity's heart started pounding in her chest as he opened the door and stepped outside. The heavy, steel door closed with a loud thud, and the echo was her only company. Then there was silence around her. Felicity exhaled shakily.

A second later, the lamps were turned off and she jumped closer to the wall as she tried to see anything in the pitch blackness. She could barely see the shadows of her bed, but slowly crawled towards it. She cursed to herself that her glasses seemed to have disappeared in the transport, but knew they would have made no difference in this black hole she found herself in.

At length, her seeking hands found the bed and she pulled herself onto the worn mattress. She scooted herself up and pressed her back against the cold wall as she listened to the silence. Felicity closed her eyes tight and forced herself to focus her mind on hope and happy memories, anything to keep her thoughts from wandering down a rabbit's hole she would not escape from.

* * *

After the news of Felicity's death, the days wore on in Starling City with a seemingly gloomier air. Her death had been announced in the papers and people had begun to question their hero. Why had not the Arrow been there to save this innocent woman from his enemy? And why was Slade Wilson back after the Arrow had defeated him? Since that night, no one had seen the Arrow. Then again, no one had seen Oliver Queen either.

Due to the seriousness of the situation, Sara and Nyssa had decided to linger in the city for a couple of days. The two of them stayed at Laurel's place while they all tried to regain their balance in the world. After their ups and downs, Sara was grateful to be close with her sister once more. Close enough to notice when something was not right.

Sara eyed her sister from the open doorway to the living room. Laurel seemed a mile away as she reclined in her sofa, clad in worn sweatpants and with a forgotten book across her lap.

"...That was Nyssa on the phone," Sara called out as she stepped into the room. "Still no sign of Slade. I think he's left the city. Nyssa and I will linger in Starling for a little while longer, though. Just to be on the safe side."

Laurel scooted over on the sofa to give her sister room to sit. Her dark pools immediately swirled with hope as she asked, "...And what about Ollie? Any sight of him?"

Sara's face fell as she sat down. She released a heavy breath as she shook her head, "…No."

"I'm worried about him," Laurel admitted with a heavy sigh.

"Me too."

"It's been three days… " the elder woman opened and closed her mouth as she searched for words to describe the predicament and worry that clouded her mind. "I don't know where he is."

Sara reached out for her sister's hand and squeezed it tight in her own. "He'll come back when he's worked through the worst of this. Just give him time."

"What if he doesn't? What if…" Words failed Laurel. She lowered her eyes as she exhaled and let her concerns take voice, "…I know he feels guilty about this, Sara. As if this is all his fault. I just want to tell him… that it isn't. That everything will be okay."

Sara offered her sister a sad smile, but remained silent She could see the storm take shape in her sister's eyes, and waited for it to hit.

At length, Laurel breathed, "Ollie and I... We decided to try again. One last time, to see where it leads. We're taking it slow... and I... thought I would be enough. That maybe he wouldn't feel the need to pull away from everyone when overcome with guilt and fear. That he wouldn't pull away from _me_. It's just… You know Oliver, Sara. You were with him on the Island, and I can't pretend to understand what that was like. How that changed him… how it changed you. He's so afraid to let me in. To let anyone in. He doesn't think he's worthy of being loved... which of course he is. You both are."

Sara inclined her head and let the words sink in. "... It's not easy. To look at things that way. Sometimes you need someone to guide you, to help you find your way back to life. But, Laurel... You can't push him. He needs time to mourn and to figure out the rest."

"I know Ollie, Sara. I know that," the elder sister exhaled swiftly. "I'm just... worried about him. What he might do now when Felicity's dead."

"He has to battle his own demons, Laurel. That's not _your_ fight. You can't push him, and you can't push yourself either..."

Laurel frowned as she turned her head in her sister's direction. Confusion swirled like butterflies in her eyes, as she questioned, "What does that mean?"

Sara shrugged. She wanted to tell her sister so much, that she understood pain and trial, and she tried to voice her concerns in a gentle tone, "That you have your own demons. When I left, I told you Ollie needed you. But now that I see you... I wonder at what _you_ need. Something's different about you..."

"I'm trying to do things right..." Laurel explained. "For dad, for you and Ollie... For myself. I'm ready to mantle the Canary jacket, but Oliver doesn't agree."

"Then maybe you need to find a way to prove him wrong. Maybe you need to find a way on your own," Sara suggested, and her cobalt eyes swirled with knowledge and concern for her kin. "You should listen to your heart… and not ask more of it than it's capable of giving."

Laurel blinked. Her sister's words nestled their way into her heart where they settled in. Laurel knew she and Oliver had already been through more than any couple should have to, and their baggage was heavier than she'd anticipated when they had first decided to give their relationship a second chance. Her heart was in it… or at least so she thought. She had always known this would be difficult. She still hadn't anticipated things - both with Oliver and her desire to help him as a vigilante - to be this difficult once they found their way back to each other. There were evidently more hurdles on the horizon.

Laurel pulled herself away from her hesitation and offered her sister a thankful smile. Hoping to change topic, she nudged the woman with her toes and asked, "What about you and Nyssa?"

Sara's smile widened as she ducked her head and nodded. No words were spoken, but none were needed to be said. The raw happiness was undeniable on the blonde woman's features and it warmed Laurel's heart to see her sister enjoy at least that part of life which she had long been robbed from. She could but hope this would lead Sara to further see the light and embrace the hero Laurel saw inside of her.

"I know I shouldn't say this in a time like this... I know Felicity meant a lot to you, as well... But I'm glad you're back. Despite the circumstances," Laurel grinned. "It means the world to me and Dad. If you only knew how happy he is to see you alive and well despite everything..."

Sara grimaced. "It's not so bad, you know. In the League. I'd rather be free of it, but I _chose_ the League this time. And I'm confident with my decision. I can handle the darkness. And knowing you and Dad support me, no matter what... keeps me going."

"We'll always support you," Laurel promised and scooted closer to Sara on the couch. She embraced her little sister tightly and ran a hand across her hair. "We'll always love you."

Sara smiled at the sweet gesture. "... I know."

* * *

Thea blinked up at her father with newfound hope. He'd just delivered her the news she'd long wanted to hear.

Thea hadn't realized how much she'd wanted to hear the starting shot until the words settled in her mind. Her heart fluttered and she tried to conceal her emotions from him. After everything she'd been through, she wasn't sure she was ready for this part yet. Her heart was about to be tested in a way it had never been tested before, and she was excited to see if the walls she'd build up around her heart were strong enough to weather this storm.

Their plan was intricate, and required her to play a part. Excitement mingled with apprehension in her veins, and pumped through her blood with the adrenaline. Thea knew she didn't know everything that went on behind the scenes, but she was willing to suppress what she didn't need to know this once. It served a grander purpose, and she knew Malcolm would tell her everything if only she asked. He would not keep secrets from her, which was the whole foundation of their relationship.

"You mean...?" she started hesitantly as she removed her boxing gloves and slowly stepped towards the suit-clad man. She grabbed a towel and wiped her face clean from sweat before she faced him with a more open smile. "I can make my official return?"

"The stage is set for you, my dear," Malcolm reassured and read the guarded joy in his daughter's eyes. "It's time you made your entrance. Like a _queen_..."

"No," Thea disagreed as she turned away from the man. "Not a Queen. A _Merlyn_."

* * *

Felicity wasn't sure how much time had passed since Slade had taken her. Without a window to see the outside world, she'd lost her estimation of time. It felt like weeks or months, but it could just as well be only a few days.

He'd given her some food and water, but only enough to keep her going. Her head was worsening, as well. Felicity was certain it was a concussion by now – probably a mild one judging by her weak, but lingering, symptoms. Up until now, Slade had mainly let her be, with no company but her own swirling thoughts and frightened heart. She had a feeling things were about to take a turn for the worse, however.

Felicity sat curled up in her bed as she watched Slade on the other side of the bars, sharpening his trademark blade. The man wore black combat gear, with a holster on his hip and a knife tucked into his left boot. She noted how his wide muscles tensed with each movement, and the knowledge of his capabilities frightened her. Not only did he have the training, but the strength also, to inflict more damage to her person than she could ever survive.

She forced the thoughts out of her head. She couldn't afford to think like that. She had to keep her wits about her, and bide her time well. Hopefully, Oliver had realized the truth by now and was already on his way to rescue her. Surely she wouldn't have to wait much longer.

Unaware of her pondering, Slade mused, "He was tortured here, you know. On The Island."

The man's soulless eyes rose to meet hers and Felicity felt captive to his soul as well. Too afraid to speak, she merely tried to convey her dismay and not let him feel victorious. She was determined to not let him see her as weak.

"I imagine you must have wondered what it was like for him. The anguish, the slow killing of his soul… Ripping flesh from bone, slicing at his skin like slicing through a ripe melon… Of course, most of that wasn't due to me. We were still allies when he was first tortured," Slade reminisced with a dark grin. After a second, the man continued with ruthless calm, "But I brandished him, too, so that he would remember his sins. For killing Shado. She had a tattoo on her back… I gave Oliver the same one."

The memory of the familiar back flashed through Felicity's head. "The dragon? That was you?"

Slade nodded as he leisurely rose from his seat and walked towards the locked door. "I never want him to forget how he betrayed her… And with it, he never will," the key turned in the lock and the door swung upon with no intimidating squeak. The silence didn't calm Felicity, however, as she stumbled off the bed and tried to back away from his approaching shape. He raised the blade and pointed it squarely at her chest. "Now, I can't give you a tattoo, Ms Smoak. But I assure you, he'll never forget how he betrayed you as well."

The wall stopped her escape and Felicity tried to conceal her trembling legs. Her body betrayed her and she saw his smirk widen. Still, she held her head high and spoke, "He hasn't betrayed me."

"Hasn't he? Well, where is he then? Your _knight in green leather_?" Slade taunted as he stopped a few feet ahead of her. Like a wild animal, he had her cornered right where he wanted her. "He's not coming for you, Blondie… I plan on torturing you, to give you a little taste of what he went through… And still, he will not come. He will have abandoned you in your hour of need."

"You're wrong."

"Sweeter than sugar, are we, Blondie? I remember your faith in him was just as strong last time I took you from him."

"He came for me then... He always does."

"And what about when he doesn't…? … _Hmm_? Now… let's get started, shall we?" Slade asked as he ran the cold, metal blade against the bare skin of her abdomen. He sliced into the flesh and Felicity stifled a shriek.

* * *

Oliver gazed down at the pale rocks, deep in thought. He felt lost at sea, and the salty water of self-deprecation kept crashing over him, one tidal wave after another. Memories of Felicity played through his mind and for each new memory, he felt as if some invisible hand crushed his heart slowly but ever so surely to dust. He couldn't escape from his pit of despair, and found himself lost further and further down. He closed his eyes against the onslaught of painful memories that endlessly played like an echo inside his head.

"_You've dropped some fairly ridiculous lies on me, and yet I still feel like I can trust you. Why is that?"_

"_It's my life, my choice."_

"_Don't you have any happy stories?"_

"_Just the thought of losing someone that important to me again…"_

_"... and I never would have believed some crazy guy in a hood when he told me I could be more than just some IT girl."_

"_You honor the dead by fighting, and you are __**not done**__ fighting!"_

"_I do know two things: You are not alone… And I believe in you."_

_"Slade took Laurel because he wants to kill the woman I love."_

_"I know. So?"_

_"So he took the wrong woman."_

_"...Oh."_

_"I love you."_

Oliver inhaled sharply as he turned off his emotions and let the memories fade into the recesses of his mind. He raised his head slowly and let his gaze wander from the tombstones. "How did you know I was here?"

He glanced back over his shoulder as Diggle slowly stepped closer, walking deliberate and careful as if attempting not to step on any mines that would trigger a reaction from Oliver. When the latter didn't object to his presence, Diggle took the unspoken invitation and stepped over to his friend's side.

"Lucky guess." He met the younger man's eyes and saw the swirling sadness within. John inclined his head in apology. "I know you, Oliver. What goes on in your head. Or I usually do. Figured you'd come here eventually, to clear your mind."

Oliver sighed and glanced down at his parents' tombstones beneath the lone olive tree once more. "… I failed her, Diggle. As I failed my parents… Thea... _Everyone_."

"You know that's not true, Oliver."

"I'm not sure what to believe anymore, Dig… She's gone…. And… I don't know," he whispered in anguish as his throat clogged up. "I can't help but wonder… What if I'd made the other decision last time? What if I'd killed Slade?"

His friend released a weary breath that spoke of his own pain. After a few seconds in silence, John said, "_Then_ you would have failed her…"

Oliver grimaced. "I should have seen it. I knew Felicity was in danger because of her involvement in bringing down Slade…but I should have seen just how big of a target I made her by including her in my plan. I can't seem to do things right with her, and now… there's no second chance. When I asked her to join the team, I told you we could protect her… And now look at what I've done."

"It was her decision to join," Diggle disagreed. "She knew what she was getting herself into and you _have_ protected her. …Should we talk about-"

"_No_," the younger man interrupted with an anguished breath. "…I just need her not to be dead, Dig."

"Me, too..." John closed his eyes tight as he struggled against his emotions. He needed to be there for his friend, right now. They needed each other. "Felicity wouldn't have wanted you to wallow in self-pity. It won't help anyone, and… it won't bring her back. I... won't lie to you, Oliver. I don't know how we pick up the broken pieces after this. But her death won't have been in vain. I guarantee that."

When he got no comment or reply, Diggle glanced at the man beside him. Oliver shuffled from one foot to the other as the despair faded in his eyes, pushed aside by sad determination. "... Oliver?"

The man turned to face his company. "What if she isn't? What if she isn't dead?" Diggle merely frowned, as Oliver explained himself, "I've been thinking about it... There's no trace of Slade. Neither Nyssa, A.R.G.U.S or I have been able to find him. I know him, Dig, Slade doesn't run and hide. I feel like I'm missing something here."

"Oliver…" John stuttered. Tiny warning flags raised in his head as he tried to voice his own reaction. The last thing they needed was to get their hopes up in vain. If this turned out to be erroneous, they'd only crash and burn all the harder. "Man…What if-"

"I know," Oliver interrupted in a low breath, barely audible due to his pain. "I shouldn't get my hopes up… But I need this, Dig. It's all I've got."

"… Alright," Diggle nodded sharply. "Any ideas, then? How to prove it, one way or another?"

"Only one idea…" Oliver said as he withdrew his phone and dialed a familiar number. Without patience, he waited for the tide to turn.

Barry answered after four signals. "... Oliver?"

"Hey. I need to ask you a favor, Barry."

* * *

Felicity wheezed in pain as Slade stitched up the injuries he'd previously inflicted. She couldn't quite make sense of it. Why he would fix her, after breaking her in the first place? She could but imagine he had grander plans for her to suffer, and wanted her to last his torture longer. Physically it was straining, but mentally it was worse than she'd imagined.

He'd cut into her abdomen with meticulous precision. Due to the limited amount of blood loss and all her organs still in function, he'd clearly aimed for "safe" flesh to cut into. Perhaps he was testing her then, to see how much she'd last.

Covered in a thin sheen of sweat, Felicity tried to control her breathing as she felt the needle pierce her skin once more. She glanced down at the three horizontal scars on her abdomen, one deeper than the other. Failing at controlling her bodily reactions to torture, Felicity instead turned to her other weapons. Despite the concussion, she knew her mind still ran clear enough to make sense.

"I think..." she began shakily. "I think you're doing this revenge-thing because you're afraid you'll have nothing left if you stopped. When Oliver first told me about you, I did my homework on you."

"You did?" Slade sounded vaguely amused as he finished stitching her up and she hurriedly pulled her torn blouse close to cover her skin. Slade held her gaze as he asked, "And what did you learn?"

"That you had a wife and two sons before the Island."

Slade inclined his head. "Not to mention an illegitimate daughter."

"Alright… A wife, two sons, a daughter and a mistress then," Felicity corrected herself tiredly. "Sounds like an awful lot of people who want to see you again. Who loved you once, who might _still_ love you. If you're willing to go home and take a chance."

Slade chortled as he rose from the ground and stepped away from her.

Felicity frowned up at the laughing man, worried he'd lost what remained of his mind. "What? What did I say that's so amusing?"

The dark-haired man turned his curious gaze down at her once more. "How am I not irredeemable in your eyes?"

"I think everyone can change for the better. That darkness can give way to light."

"Then perhaps you are not as bright as I thought, Ms Smoak," Slade said pointedly and his amusement faded. "I _am _irredeemable. Your Oliver made sure of that. He deserves to pay for all of this. He took _everything_ from me… it's only fair if I return that favor."

"You tried, you lost. He'll always win, Slade," Felicity said with more force than she'd intended. "Because he has what you are afraid to embrace. People who support and believe in him, who love him. Belief will do a lot to a man's heart."

the Aussie inclined his head in agreement as he crouched before her and pressed a thumb into her ribs. She cried in pain as he pressed down on one of the wounds, and he smiled, "You're forgetting one focal element, Felicity. He _believes_ you're dead."

The blonde simply blinked at the incredibility of his words. "W-what? Why? What did you do?"

"I left a body in your place. I burned your apartment and the woman in it. DNA is easily tampered with if you can access the records… For all accounts, Oliver thinks he's about to bury your corpse, burned to a cinder and irrefutably lost to him… _Forever._"

Felicity's breath hitched as she gazed up at her captor.

Slade seemed to revel in her despair as he hunched down before her and said, "I think you said it quite to the point, Blondie. 'Belief will do a lot to a man's heart'… What mind state do you think your beloved Oliver is in right now… with his heart broken?"

Felicity swallowed past the bile that threatened to rise in her throat and tried to shut out the man's wicked glee. She shook her head and tried to find her voice. "H-he'll see the truth… He'll come."

"Perhaps," Slade acquiesced with a sly grin as he rose from the ground. "But by then it will be too late. It will be to find your real body, dead and disposed in the place he despises more than any on this earth. In his own _Purgatory_."

* * *

Almost a whole week passed, but nothing seemed to improve after Felicity's death. Dick spent most of his days alone in the lair, recuperating after his injury. The heart break could not be mended as easily, however.

Tonight, he sat in her seat beside the work station. He'd seen her in it so many times in the past. She never looked more at home than behind her monitors. It was always a sight that made Dick feel proud of her. His heart always soared to see her accomplish exactly what she wanted. He'd never see that again, and the thought of going through this a second time was overwhelming.

He heard a noise behind him, and swirled around in the chair. He saw Oliver slowly descend the steps, clad in jeans and a white tee.

Dick shrugged his eyebrows as the man approached. "You've returned to the land of the living, have you?"

Oliver ignored the remark as he nodded down at the man's bandaged limb. "How's the leg?"

Dick shrugged as he leaned back in the seat. "… I've had worse."

Oliver nodded slowly and offered a meek smile that didn't reach his azure eyes. "... How are you holding up?"

"Honestly? I don't know. She's dead and I… I…" There were no words to describe it. Dick didn't even try. "... And you?"

As if testing the waters, Oliver carefully exhaled. He eyed the man and decided to open up. This man loved Felicity, after all, and deserved to know there was a chance she was still alive. "...I don't think she's dead, Dick."

The dark-haired man was taken aback and stared up at the other man in shock. The news didn't seem welcome. Evidently, Dick didn't see the possibility. "Don't do this, Oliver... Don't give yourself hope. Don't give _me_ hope. I've been down this road before, it doesn't end better... It never does. Accept her death and the pain of her loss. Don't lose yourself to hope."

Oliver frowned at the morose thoughts. "You don't even want to hear me out?"

Dick shook his head and anger mixed with grief in his chocolate colored eyes. "I don't share your optimism about this. I want to... but I _can't_."

* * *

"T-this isn't about..." Felicity slurred. "... You're not doing this because I helped Oliver stop you, are you?"

Slade had left her alone for quite a while, but it still impossible to tell how long it had been between his visits. He'd returned in the end, however, to torture her a second time. He'd cut into her left shoulder blade this time, and teased the existing wounds on her stomach until she'd cried in pain. Her body trembled with fatigue and the pain rocked her body like a vulcano with each stroke of his blade. Her treatment by his hand had made her realize why exactly Amanda Waller had thought the name 'Deathstroke' was such an appropriate alter ego name for the Aussie legend.

"Not entirely, no. My reasons go beyond that, mainly," Slade agreed as he stitched up the wounds on her back. He eyed his stitch work and the scar that would form there, and smiled to himself. He'd leave that particular scar as a surprise to Oliver, certain it could drag the younger man down to hell where he belonged. "...It should have been my first clue, actually."

"What should...?" Felicity asked feebly as the man pulled her up to her feet.

"I sent Count Vertigo to him, to test his resolve of not killing…" the man explained as he steadied her and stepped around her, like a lion around its prey. "Well, I don't really need to tell you what happened. When The Count caught you, Oliver killed him without batting an eye. That should have been my first clue of your importance, but I was too busy focusing on Oliver's reaction. I simply believed it proved how weak he was, to kill a man over a secretary. I believed it would be easy to wrap him around my little finger if his resolve wasn't stronger than that… but I should have seen the real reason for his actions. I should have seen _you.._. What was it he called you? _The real danger_."

"You're overestimating me, Slade..." the blonde breathed as she struggled to keep her eyes open and stumbled as the world spun around her.

"On the contrary, Blondie," the man disagreed. He stopped behind her back and spoke close to her ear, his breath tickling the loose strands of hair that rested against her neck. "I've _underestimated_ you in the past, and won't be making the same mistake twice."

"You already have," Felicity breathed in a dark voice.

At once, she took the offered opportunity and dropped the facade of broken, feeble woman. With swift, sharp movements, she elbowed him right in the face. She knew months of training with Dick had given her better strength and stamina, not to mention a better grasp of her physical capabilities. Her captor stumbled backward only a step, but it was enough for Felicity to get loose. She stumbled forward and threw the door close behind her once she was safe. She locked it shut not a second before Slade reached out to her through the bars. His hands grasped nothing but air as she jumped out of his reach.

She moaned in pain as the sharp, sudden movements had pulled open several stitches on her stomach and she glanced down at the fresh blood on her shirt.

"Let me out of here!" the man growled menacingly. "You think you won't die alone out there?!"

Felicity tried to suppress the pain as she stumbled to keep upright. Perhaps she wasn't as physically strong as she'd thought, or maybe she'd simply lost too much blood. Slade's torture and her concussion made her wobble in her place, but she remained on her feet. She glared at the man, safely stored behind bars once more. "Don't know... You're right where you belong, though..."

Without another word, Felicity turned and stumbled out the door towards her freedom. If Oliver believed her to be dead, she needed to find a way to get home and convince him and the others she was alive. She needed to find her way back to them, and she had an idea how to do it.

* * *

"Just a sec!" Roy hollered as he heard someone knock forecefully on his front door.

With Slade Wilson on the loose, Roy wasn't taking any chances. As he slipped the knife inside the waistband of his pants, he stepped over to the door and opened it a crack. The sight that met him left him dumbfounded and the door fell open.

"... _Thea_?"

The brunette looked just the same as all those months ago. Her curly, dark hair reached just beyond her shoulders and she wore black jeans matched with a fitted top. She offered him a warm smile and something hesitant danced in her dark orbs. It was as if she'd never left, yet his heart told another tale.

"Can I come in?" she asked at last, when he made no motion to close his jaw.

"Eh..." Roy began and opened the door. "Sure. Okay."

He watched the young Queen step into his small flat and seemingly reacquainted herself with the location. She knew it almost as well as he did, of course, but it had been a while. The memories of their last meeting burned hot in his mind, and Roy waited for an explanation. The young, slender woman merely walked around on timid legs, without saying a word.

When the silence became too much to bear, Roy cleared his throat. "... You said you were never coming back."

Thea inclined her head and something sad passed over her features. "I know."

Roy felt the world continue to spin out of control since Slade's return, and suddenly nothing made sense. When she didn't say anything more, Roy prodded for more. "You're back," he said, not all too kindly.

She smiled despite his evident pain. Thea raised her eyes and held his gaze as she had so many times in the past. "I know that, too."

Slowly, Roy stepped towards his ex-girlfriend. "… Where were you, Thea?"

* * *

After being on Lian Yu - or the Minefield Island, as she preferred to call it - twice before, Felicity was thankful that she remembered her way back to the plane wreckage Oliver had used as a safe haven once upon a time.

The fresh air and the cool breeze between the trees did wonders to her mind. She felt freer that she'd ever felt before in her life, and even the pain felt less overwhelming.

Her blouse and pants were cut from the torture, and blood was mixed with dirt and sweat. Felicity barely saw it herself. All she saw was what lay ahead: Her journey home to safety.

She finally made it to the plane wreckage and her breathing was heavy from exertion as she stumbled into the hideout. Her mind drifted to Oliver and Diggle, and the first time she'd been in this place. How long ago it all seemed now.

Felicity hurried over to the radio transmitter at the back of the plane and brushed off unnecessary items that lay in her path. As she got to work on it, her fingers fumbled with the controls. Without her glasses, and with her pounding head, it was difficult to make out what she needed to see. Her fingers were almost too eager, too, as she was so close to contacting her friends. She longed to hear Oliver's voice reassuring her he'd come for her, Diggle's amused pride of her accomplishments and Dick's support.

She grabbed the aircraft microphone and held it close to her mouth.

"That radio doesn't work."

Felicity jumped in the air at the unexpected voice. Her head flew up towards the entrance furthest away from her, and the man who slowly stepped inside.

Slade walked towards her with his long blade drawn. He looked even more menacing in the day light. Slade inclined his head towards the radio transmitter once more. "Not even your pretty, little fingers can make that radio function today."

Felicity's fingers tapped nervously against the machine, reluctant to let go of her life line. "... How did you...?"

"You didn't think I'd let you get away that easily, did you?" Slade questioned. "I told you: I'm not underestimating you. You thought you escaped… but I let you. The anticipation of a chase is always the best part of a hunt. I'll make sure to retell every detail of our encounters together to your dear Oliver when I see him next time."

Felicity weighed her options, but knew they were limited. There was a growing shadow in the man's eyes, and she knew she was treading closer and closer towards the end of the line.

The woman threw herself towards the exit. She knew she couldn't outrun him, but she certainly had a better chance with that than trying to battle him with neither weapon or proper strength.

As she ran through the high grass, she simply waited for his strong, calloused hands to grab her and pull her back.

There was a sudden bang. It wasn't anything like a mighty thunder, but the noise echoed across the field and the trees anyway.

Felicity felt the bullet go through her leg and she fell like a tree towards the ground. The air was knocked out of her as she managed to roll onto her back, but remained down. As if in a vacuum, she heard her slow, raspings breaths escape past her lips loud and clear, and for some reason it calmed her. She felt a throbbing sensation in her thigh, but not much pain, surprisingly enough. Adrenaline was a funny thing, indeed.

Above her, in the clouded skies far beyond her reach, Felicity saw a pack of wild birds take flight after hearing the shot echo on the field. As she watched them dance across the heavens, her thoughts wandered back to Starling City and the people she loved.

Would she die like this? Abandoned in Purgatory?

Slade's hovering shadow fell over her, but she kept her eyes skyward as she remembered Oliver's last words to her;

_"Listen, to me: It's going to be alright! I'm coming for you!"_

* * *

**To be continued!**


	9. Abyss

_A/N; A while back I had a reviewer who asked me why Oliver shouldn't kill Slade. It's a fair question and it certainly has many answers. What is right, what is wrong? Does killing Slade make a difference? Does killing Slade mean Oliver has to surrender to his own darkness? This chapter (in part) aims at tackling that struggle within Oliver about whether or not he can/should kill Slade. I also try and portray Felicity's struggles with staying alive and not losing hope. For how long can you hold on when you have nothing to hold on to? __  
_

_Synopsis for Episode 9: Trapped on Lian Yu, Felicity struggles against her injuries and Slade's mental torture to stay alive. Meanwhile, Team Arrow receives news that Felicity's not dead, and Oliver must face his own resolve about not killing when it comes to saving the life of someone he loves._

* * *

**3x09: Abyss**

As Diggle entered the secret lair, he could feel tension fill the atmosphere. The air simmered with electricity and he slowed down as he saw the two men further inside. Oliver and Dick were standing on opposite sides of Felicity's workstation, facing each other with unreadable expressions. The room was quiet, except for the low humming of the computers, but much had plainly already been spoken. John wondered to what degree the two men had fallen out this time. Both of them were in great torment over Felicity's loss, and had different ways of dealing with it.

Where Dick preferred to shut the others out and wallow in the deepest recesses of his mind, Oliver had found a sliver of hope to which he clung like no other. It was one of few times Diggle had ever seen his friend fill with hope, and he couldn't help but be swept away with it to some extent. Whether or not Oliver was right and Felicity remained alive remained uncertain, and so John refrained from losing himself entirely to a hopeful state of mind.

Before they could address that issue, he needed to assess the situation before him and minimize the damage. Diggle carefully hedged around the men as he asked, "... Is everything alright down here?"

For a few long seconds, there was no reply as the stare down continued. Dick was the first to lower his gaze and turn to face the other man. His dark eyes shone with incredulous disbelief and something darker, as he voiced his anguish, "Oliver believes Felicity's alive."

John inclined his head in understanding. He walked closer towards his friends, prepared to act as mediator should he need to, and said, "I know."

"… But there's no evidence," Dick growled. His eyes pleaded with the others to drop the subject and accept the cold, hard facts at hand. Hope, then, had no room in Dick's broken heart.

"Not _yet_," Oliver replied in lightning speed, unwilling to back down despite being the underdog of the conversation. They all knew it was true; there was nothing but Oliver's gut instinct to go on. Still, he refused to be beaten down in this moment. He wasn't sure what steered him on his path, but he needed to keep steering against the storm.

"And how much faith can we put in your _feelings_?" the disbelieving man questioned and whirled back to face Oliver. Queen took a hesitant step back as Dick verbally berated, "You were with Laurel when Slade came for Felicity. That should tell us _exactly_ how reliable your gut instincts are, Oliver."

"Let's all take a breath here," Diggle stepped in between the men. The tension was too thick, and there was no pretty end in sight to complete their argument.

No one spoke for another minute, and John eyed Oliver from the corner of his eyes. The younger man stood immobile as a noticeable shadow passed across his features. Diggle wanted to say something, anything really, as he saw hope wither in the man's cobalt eyes. Before he could, however, Oliver let out a deep breath and visibly shrank back.

His eyes lowered to the floor and he breathed in a low voice, "He's right."

"_Slade wanted Felicity_," Diggle hurriedly disagreed. He could already see the guilt reassemble in his friends eyes and tried to dismantle it, "He would have found a way to get to her no matter what precautions you tried. This isn't your fault."

Oliver shook his head, his friend's reassurance barely scratching at the existing guilt. "I shouldn't have given him an opening," he sighed wearily, "I should have been with her."

"_I _should have been with her," Dick growled and the sound lingered in the void around them.

Diggle's voice was soft as he once more intercepted to smother the flames. "Blaming yourself won't change the past. That goes for both of you."

"Right. You only get one chance. If you do the wrong thing… If you screw that up, you're... _screwed_," Dick stated in an impassive voice that stood in stark contrast to the darkness in his guilt-ridden eyes. His gaze suddenly filled with compassion as he turned his head in Oliver's direction. Dick struggled with the words, but eventually they passed his chapped lips, "…Felicity is dead. Accept it. Move on."

"There is no moving on," Oliver closed his eyes tight as anguish washed over him and scraped away at his resolve. When he opened them once more, he met Dick's gaze across an abyss that hadn't been there previously. The dark orbs sparked with recognition and curiosity as they beheld Oliver in silence. The unspoken question lingered in the space between them, raw and anguished in its clarity. The question touched both of their hearts and for once they saw the truth from the other's eyes.

Eventually, Dick lowered his gaze with a sighed, "I see…"

Oliver saw a realization take form in the man's eyes, but refrained from commenting upon it. There was no point to either deny or affirm the unspoken truth. Words were simply redundant at this point where Felicity Smoak was concerned.

A shrill sound interrupted the moment and Oliver exhaled slowly. He withdrew his phone from his pocket and his heart almost skipped a beat as he recognized the caller. Without wasting another second, he answered and pressed the phone close to his ear.

"_Barry_?"

The younger man's tone was eager and quick, excitement carrying across the barriers, "Oliver, I-I've gone over the results from the Coroner you sent me and I… I ran my own tests as you asked."

Oliver grimaced as he willed himself not to bark out any commands. "_And_?"

The young scientist replied, "When I first looked at the files, there was a lot I thought looked sketchy about the coroner's examination. Eh-_Oh_! The _barbell_, Oliver!"

Oliver frowned as he tried to keep up with the man's swift thoughts. He once more suppressed the urge to use his Arrow tone of voice. "Barry, remember I'm not as… _fast_ as you are."

"Right. _Sorry_. The corpse found in Felicity's apartments was burned beyond recognition, except not really. Eh... From the photos in the report, I quickly noted that the corpse had no barbell ear piercing nor was there any documentation on the matter. Never had. Never will… obviously. Hard to get a barbell after you've passed on."

Oliver closed his eyes tight. "_Focus, Barry_!"

"B-based on that sliver of hope, I ran her blood test twice to be sure and you were right, Oliver. It's not Felicity's blood type. It wasn't her body," the scientist's voice filled with unbridled eagerness. Oliver exhaled in relief as Barry concluded, "Felicity could still be alive."

* * *

**9 months earlier**

_"I'm almost done," Felicity breathed as she peaked above the technical device. "I just need another minute."_

_Diggle shrugged as he strode over to the exit and stood guard. He gazed out at the jungle outside of the plane wreckage and replied, "No rush. I just want to be back on the beach before Oliver's visit to Slade is over."_

_"Me too," the blonde assured in a low whisper that still carried strong with emotion._

_Slade had been defeated only the previous day and his Mirakuru army dismantled and cured not long before that. Slade himself was to be placed in A.R.G.U.S's prison here on the Island, where he could do no more harm to Oliver's existence. Everything seemed to be going their way once more after a long row of setbacks. It was about time._

_While Oliver helped the guards settle Slade into the secure cell, John had opted to come along on Felicity's little excursion._

_The woman had brought with her a bag of radio equipment and technical stuff Diggle wouldn't even pretend to understand. Felicity had tried to explain what she planned to do with it, but he was still a bit sketchy about the details._

_"So…" he began as he glanced back over his shoulder. The former safe haven of Oliver Queen stood just the same as he remembered it from a few months earlier, when he and Felicity had arrived to convince Oliver to return to the land of the living. How long ago all of that seemed at this point in time. Diggle suppressed the memory as he took a step back towards the crouched blonde at the eastern end of the plane. "Repairing the radio, huh?"_

_"Not exactly," she disagreed with a grimace. Felicity sought for simple enough words to explain her technical plan as she pointed to the small radio device beside the large, plane radio that remained broken. "Last time we were here, Oliver told us the radio was busted and the microphone inoperable from this end. It can receive radio transmission, but not send anything into the ether. The humidity in this mosquito infested place isn't exactly helping. There's not much I can do with the old radio."_

_"… So what have you done then?"_

_"Well, I've exchanged the mics, for starters, but that's no guarantee they'll work on this end. So I also added this little device," Felicity pointed her finger at a particular device she'd hooked onto the backside of the radio. "In essence, this little extra device will serve as a beacon. When someone comes here, they can turn it on and the signal will carry to a specific radio transmitter I'll hook up to the monitors in the lair back in Starling. Basically, if Oliver ever comes back here without telling us, he can just start it up and we'll know where he is. We won't have to worry... More than necessary... It's certainly more efficient than a flight recorder. I may have borrowed it from A.R.G.U.S... I dare say, if Amelia's Lockheed had carried such a beacon, maybe she wouldn't have disappeared. "_

_"Amelia?" Diggle frowned._

_"Earhart..." Felicity's voice trailed off. "Disappeared in her Lockheed Model 10 Electra during her around-the-world flight in 1937...?"_

_"Uh-huh, yeah, I know," John smiled as he fondly watched the younger woman he considered family by now. "Remind me to help you regain a life outside of our team when we return home."_

_Felicity smiled sheepishly as her eyes fell to the floor. Diggle eyed her curiously as she fidgeted with a few cords, but kept quiet. Her fingers moved swifter and stiffer than normal, and her eyes were clouded with thoughts she had yet to share with him. There was evidently something on her mind that kept distracting her and John took another step closer._

_"Felicity…" he coaxed gently and waited until she looked up at him. "Is something wrong?"_

_"No, I'm fine!" she answered a tad too quickly. Diggle raised his eyebrows and Felicity sighed heavily as she saw the question in his eyes. She finished the work and rose on languid legs. She ran a hand across her tight pony tail and shifted from one foot to the other._

_"Is this about Slade?" Diggle pried in a soft voice._

_"I told you, I'm fine!" Felicity grinned widely and tugged on the sleeves of her suede jacket. She stepped away from the radio and clapped her hands together almost too eagerly. "I'm done here. Should we head back?"_

_Diggle inclined his head. The two stepped out of the plane wreckage together and walked across the plain in the direction of the beach. John glanced at his friend, and could see the inner struggle wage a war in her eyes. He didn't want to push her, but could see she was practically bursting to tell him something._

_In the end, he didn't have to wait for long before she suddenly blurted, "Alright, there is something. But I don't know what. I mean, I do, but-"_

_"Felicity, you can tell me. Whatever it is."_

_"S-something happened before I helped Oliver take down Slade, " the young woman spoke, her tongue going a mile a minute as the words flowed like water in a stream, "Oliver took me to the Queen mansion, as you know…. And… It was part of the ruse, of course, what with Slade's hidden cameras and all. I didn't know that at the time, but, that's irrelevant... When we were there, though, he said it. I mean it."_

_Diggle stepped over a fallen log and glanced back over his shoulder as he tried to see the pattern of her thoughts. "What?"_

_"…'I love you'. It was part of his plan. Quite ingenious, too. But he… I mean, it felt real. But it wasn't. Of course it wasn't. I know it wasn't," Felicity babbled as she walked hurriedly across the forest floor. Her gaze wasn't paying much attention to where she was placing her feet, but at least they knew there were no more mines along this strip so Diggle didn't comment on it. She seemed so lost in her own pondering, that she probably wouldn't have noticed anyway. After a short intake of air, she continued, "It caught me by surprise…. And he must be a better liar than I remember because I- He did what he had to do. It was all necessary to outthink Slade and I was glad to help. Not glad-glad, since it meant putting myself in mortal danger…. I would do it again in a heartbeat. But I'm over-thinking this, aren't I?"_

_John hesitated on the precipice. "Oliver cares about you, Felicity. Deeply."_

_"Yeah, sure," Felicity shrugged. "But not like this."_

_"… How about I give you two a minute later, before we leave this place?"_

_"Oh…? Now? As in today?"_

_Diggle shrugged and slowed down his steps as he saw the beach take shape between the trees not too far ahead. "It sounds like you ought to discuss what happened that day. Now is as good a time as any."_

_Felicity, too, gazed ahead as she paused in her steps. A light breeze made her pink shirt sway in the air and the splash of color made the forest green shades practically come to life around her. "… And say what, Dig?"_

_John shrugged as he reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "Whatever needs to be said right now."_

_Her wide eyes held his for another second before she nodded hesitantly. Side by side, they continued forward._

* * *

Sara and Laurel dashed down the stairs, their steps sounding loud and swift across the main area. As the sisters joined the three men, there was no mistaking the change in atmosphere. The gloomy tension had been replaced by tentative hope... and... something else. While Dick and Diggle hovered by the monitors, Oliver kept to himself further back.

Sara glanced between the group and asked, somewhat out of breath, "Is it true?"

Oliver's shoulders were tense, though his eyes danced with relief. "Barry Allen confirmed it."

Laurel frowned as she stepped closer to join the inner circle. The lawyer part of her was at once alert and she was swift to question what remained unclear, "If Slade didn't kill Felicity, where is she? And where is Slade? He must still have her, right?"

Oliver shrugged his shoulders and not even the slight movement seemed to reduce his stiff posture. He gritted his teeth as he shook his head, "I don't know…"

"They have a week's head start…" Diggle said as he stepped away from the monitors to face the women and help bring clarity to the situation. The body guard glanced at Oliver's profile as he concluded, "But she's alive. At least we know that."

From behind his girlfriend's monitors, Dick was doing all he could to search for the blonde woman. He turned in his seat with an agitated sigh, "I've gone over the city's security cameras for last Thursday. I can't… Felicity's facial recognition program can't find either her or Slade anywhere. They could still be in town, but…"

Oliver shook his head. "Slade knows how to avoid the cameras. You won't find him easily."

Dick sighed in exasperation, "That doesn't help, you know. That doesn't offer any explanation to all of this!"

"Don't you think I know that?!" Queen snarled back, like a cornered wild dog flashing his teeth when no other option remained.

"Let's all calm down..." Laurel suggested as she saw the man draw a shaky breath. She stepped towards him and offered a tender smile. "Let's stay focused on the good news: _Felicity isn't dead_. We can save her."

Oliver's gaze leisurely rose to meet the woman's. The storm in his clouded eyes were unmistakable, and he was almost lost in his own grief and guilt. How a sliver of hope could lead him closer to the edge, Laurel couldn't understand. "He took Felicity, Laurel…" the man offered as a meek explanation, though the sentence carried more weight to the man himself.

"_Why_?" Dick questioned from the sidelines. His features distorted in confusion as he glared up at the other man. "Why did Slade take Felicity? Why didn't he go after you directly?

Oliver glanced at the man from his peripheral view, "He enjoys the game. He enjoys watching me suffer."

Laurel contemplated the truth and exchanged a glance with her younger sister. She turned back to Oliver and impassively spoke, "… There could be another reason."

_"Laurel_."

"I'm sorry, but it's true, Ollie," the woman spoke despite the man's anguished snarl. "I was there, remember? The day you and Felicity defeated Slade. You lured him... It makes sense if that's why he took her. Both as revenge for her involvement, but also because how important he believes she is to you. After all, somehow you made him believe she's woman you love."

There's was a low squeak to interrupt the tension as Dick rose from his chair on slow legs. He drew a deep breath that seemed to echo inside his chest, before he released it, "..._Excuse me_?"

Oliver closed his eyes and silently tried to count to ten before his temper would take the better of him. He felt everyone's gazes on him, but chose to ignore their different, unspoken questions. Ultimately, he growled, "We don't have time to argue about this! It doesn't matter _why_ he did it!"

"Oliver's right. What's important is what he intends to do with her," Sara agreed. "What we have to prevent."

"Unless we find a way to stop Slade, he'll kill her," Oliver sighed. "And this time it won't be a game."

Dick lowered himself onto the seat once more, but still faced the others with a desolate expression. "So how do we find him? I'm already running every available program Felicity has. I've got nothing. Zero. Zilch. It'll take too long to go trough images and security cameras over the past few days. It could, literally, take days before the computers find anything to give us a hint of where Slade is. Diggle already said it... We're one week behind, as it is... We can't afford to lose more time."

Oliver clenched jaw as his gaze wandered past Dick's shoulder. His eyes seemed to shine with white, hot rage as he glared at the small screen that had suddenly appeared on Felicity's monitors.

Oliver viciously snarled, "He's not in Starling City."

The small flashing item on the screen seemed to mock him from the deep and he was unable to pull his gaze away. He'd never seen that alert before, but knew exactly what it meant. Someone had triggered the alert on Lian Yu. Felicity was in Purgatory.

* * *

Felicity blinked past the ache in her limb as Slade hauled her up from the field without giving her a moment's rest. She swayed in place as pain invaded her system. Her head throbbed, but the sensation in her leg was far worse than anything she'd ever felt. She glanced down at the gun shot wound and the oozing blood from the injury that stained her torn,dark pants.

Slade threw her left arm around his shoulders and she tried to resist to no avail. Her plan had worked, but she'd only managed to come one step closer to death's welcoming hand shake. She'd been interrupted too soon, she wasn't certain if her distress call had gone through and she could but rely on hope.

Her captor wrapped his arm around her slender waist and pushed them to move forward.

"You possess true courage, Felicity, I'll give you that," Slade tersely breathed beside her, a hint of admiration touching his raspy voice.

Felicity thought about putting up more resistance, but decided against it in the end. She needed to save her reserve energy for a more opportune moment.

The woman released a strained moan each time she was forced to take a step with her right leg. Her bare feet were also covered with cuts and bruises from her escape journey through the woods, and she bit her bottom lip to prevent from crying out.

After only a few steps, as they stepped into the first line of trees beyond the field, she heard the low rumbling of laughter from her left. She glanced up at the Australian and noticed a perceptible twinkle in his dark, bottomless eyes.

"What… What's so funny?"

"I just recalled," the man explained leisurely as he pulled her further into uncharted territory, "… Those are almost the exact words I told Moira Queen… seconds before I killed her."

Felicity swallowed heavily and tried not to wear her heart on her sleeve as she held her chin high and gazed ahead. Wordlessly, she was dragged into the woods, deeper towards the center of the mysterious island.

* * *

Diggle hung up his phone and turned to face the others. He inclined his head sharply. "Amanda Waller will provide us with airplanes. One to China's mainland and a smaller one from there to Lian Yu. It's the fastest way."

"Did she say anything else about this?" Oliver growled as his mood kept swinging between hope and fury. "Did she know where he was?"

"No," John shook his head. "I admit, I rarely believe her, but I do this once. She didn't know he'd returned to the Island. The plane will be prepped and ready for us within thirty minutes."

"I'm ready," Oliver breathed in a low voice as he stepped towards his bow and quiver.

They all turned as Roy rushed down the steps. The young man wore a tense expression on his edged features and his red hoodie sat somewhat askew as he headed towards the others.

"I need to talk to you, Oliver," the young man started.

"It will have to wait," the other disagreed vehemently. "_There's no time._ Slade has Felicity on Lian Yu. I'm going to bring her back."

"No, listen to me, Oliver!" Roy practically pleaded. Anger touched his voice as well, but it was the desolate edge that caught Oliver's attention. Roy shuffled from one foot to the other as emotions swam in his pale eyes. He breathed deeply a few times before he found his voice, "... It's _Thea_."

The words took them all by surprise and Oliver faltered as he held the younger man's gaze. "What about her?"

"She's back. I just saw her," Roy explained and it was evident the words still surprised the young man himself. "I don't know where she was this whole time. She just knocked on my door and I... You _need_ to see her, Oliver."

"Is she alright?" the elder brother asked worriedly as a torn expression crossed his bearded features.

"She's fine. She seemed fine, but... There's something wrong, man. I just know it. The Thea Queen I just saw... isn't the same woman who left us all those months ago. There's a coldness about her I can't understand. Please, call her. Go see her."

"I have to save Felicity right now, Roy," Oliver shook his head as his hand latched around his bow and he slung the quiver over his shoulder, ready to take off at a moment's notice. "Try and find her again. Stay with her if you need to. I'll be back soon."

"You don't understand," Roy breathed. "_She needs her family_. And you're the only family she has left. I know Felicity is in danger and of course we have to save her... but you can't just leave Thea like this. Without even a word."

"She hasn't contacted me yet," Oliver begrudgingly said. "Maybe she still needs space." Roy opened his mouth to disagree but Oliver stepped over and placed a firm hand on the other man's shoulders. "No one wants to see Thea more than I do, Roy. But right now... if I don't find Felicity on time, Slade _will _kill her. I won't let her down. I can't-" he closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, letting some of his tension leave his body and leaving him void of emotion. "Thea… will have to wait."

Reluctantly, Roy inclined his head in understanding. Oliver flashed him a tight grin before he faced the rest of his team. "Diggle, Sara, let's head out."

"Wait!" Laurel cried. "... Let me come, too."

Oliver seemed close to an explosion as he slowly turned to face her. He shook his head and the dangerous expression in his eyes told them all he was already walking a very fine line. "This isn't about you, Laurel. _Stay here_, with Dick and Roy."

"You need me," Laurel disagreed.

"There is no time to argue about this!" Oliver shouted. "When I agreed to train you, it was on _my_ conditions. We were both aboard for that! You're not going into the field unless I agree to it!"

Instead of backing down, the strong woman held her ground. "I know this isn't about me, Ollie! But don't cower behind that notion because you don't want me to join. You've trained me yourself, you know what I'm capable of! I'm strong enough to come with you, and I will because I want to help Felicity. Not you, not myself- but _her_. I'm doing this for _her_, Oliver. Will you let me?"

There was a second in silence as the couple held each other's gazes. Oliver inclined his head briskly and gruffly pointed over to the gun locker. "Take a rifle. Let's go." Oliver's gaze traveled between his friends, giving them no leeway for argument as he growled, "_No more delays._"

Diggle took the lead, closely followed by the Lance sisters. With a huff, Dick rose from his chair once more as they disappeared up the stairs. Oliver spared the man a glance towards the wound on his thigh. At least Dick hadn't put up any resilience whether or not he was capable of coming along for the rescue mission with his current physical condition. At least on this, they saw eye to eye.

When Oliver met his gaze, the dark-haired man nodded sharply.

"Don't worry," Oliver reassured as he saw the darkness blend with hope in the man's eyes. "I'll bring her home. And when we return... I'll do the right thing."

Dick frowned, though confusion was not the only emotion in his eyes. "What does that mean?"

Oliver merely held his gaze a second longer, knowing full well that the truth was evident between them already. He spun on his heel and ran up the stairs without a second glance over his shoulder.

* * *

"W-where are you… taking me?" Felicity hissed through the pain.

Her thigh throbbed with the unpleasant sensation with each step she was forced to take, and she could feel the red liquid warm her leg more and more with each passing second. She barely felt the pain in her feet anymore. Hours and hours had passed since they'd started walking. They'd walked endlessly through the chill night and it was already the crack of a new dawn. The soft morning sun seeped through the trees here and there and offered a much needed breath of life.

"You'll see," Slade simply replied.

He was leading her up a steep hill, blooming with trees and a few, white flowers Felicity didn't recognize. She'd never been much for botany, anyway. Somewhere not far away, she heard a roaring sound that reminded her of a body of water.

Suddenly, the mystery was solved as Slade hauled her over a ridge and she saw the hill side make a sharp drop into a vast river far below. Her head swirled with nausea as she noticed just how far up they were. It didn't seem to matter how many times she faced her trepidation, the fear of heights never diminished.

Slade continued to drag her up the hill, walking parallel to the river down below. Something in his expression had changed during the night and a nasty snarl had started to spread across his features. She could clearly see his victorious grin and knew the man had lowered his guard as low as he would this time around.

Felicity pondered her options, but soon realized it was now or never. She'd get no better chance than this, though meek it seemed. She was weakened, but at least she had the element of surprise on her side. She pretended to slip and fell from the man's grasp onto the grassy slope. Slade laughed down at her as she sniffled and pulled herself onto her knees. Her tears rewarded her with no sympathy from the devil before her.

"I knew I'd break you and your trust in Oliver," the man snarled in amusement. "It was always a matter of time. Defeat is near at hand... Isn't it?"

"It is," Felicity breathed and hastily withdrew a small item from the waist band of her pants. When she'd gotten to the plane wreckage earlier, she'd found the arrow head beside the radio and decided to wing it. She'd hid the small item, hoping against hope that her enemy wouldn't find it. She was grateful he hadn't frisked her as she now plunged the sharp arrow head into his foot and heard him release a pained howl.

She reached up and grabbed the gun from his hand, but it was a mistake. He kicked out with his other foot and hit the woman across the face. She lost her balance and rolled over the edge. Her body slammed down against something flat and hard. Her ears rang and she tried to shake it to clear it from the haze that followed the hard impact. Felicity managed to pull herself onto her knees as she became aware of her surroundings. She had landed on a small ledge. Only a few inches to her left was the long drop down to the river below and she swallowed against the terrifying sight.

She turned about as she heard Slade's voice, "Now what's your plan?"

The man stood above the ledge, the bloody arrow head in one hand. He limped a step towards her as his eyes flashed with dangerous monstrosity. Felicity held her breath. This was it then. This was the end of the line.

"You have no more options, Blondie!" Slade snarled loudly and his voice echoed between the trees and across the gorge. "It's death, no matter what you choose."

Felicity distantly nodded as she glanced down at the weapon in her hand. As he moved to step towards her, she raised the gun and aimed it at his chest. She noticed how her hand trembled with the exertion, but knew she could hit the target if she chose it.

Even Slade seemed surprised by her approach and he stopped. The dark grin returned to his lips as he breathed, "So you've got the gun. What do you intend to do?"

"I... I don't want to kill you," she whispered. "But if you don't stay away, I-...I-"

"Do go on," the Australian cooed. "I'd like to hear you finish that threat. If you can."

Felicity drew a shaky breath. "Everyone has a limit. I advice you not to search for mine. But, no… I won't stoop to your level. I won't kill you."

"Then what? You can't flee from me with that leg of yours. You can't overpower me with strength or power of mind. This is the end."

The blonde nodded in agreement, but kept her thoughts to herself. In the end, she inhaled sharply and took the only option that seemed viable. Without really making a choice or reflecting on her path, she rolled herself over the ledge and let herself fall into the river far below.

Slade flew towards the edge and gazed down at the waters further down. He saw the splash where the woman's body hit the surface, but as he waited for her to resurface there were no ripples to determine whether she'd survived the fall or not.

* * *

A few hours later, Oliver had landed the small airplane on the familiar beach. He'd been the first one out of the plane and had shot across the sand like a bullet from a gun. His heart thundered inside his chest as he ran towards the new prison and the latch which was slung open. With each step, the Island became more and more familiar to his feet, his heart and his soul. This was the place which had almost swallowed him whole, and now threatened to do the same for Felicity.

He growled to himself as he bounded up the rocks towards the prison, Diggle close on his heel.

The two men descended into the darkened prison and searched for people, with their weapons drawn at the ready. All they found was dried blood and dead A.R.G.U.S guards. A stale scent in the air told them the guards had been dead quite a while.

They reached Slade's former cell, but that, too, was empty. In the middle of the cell Oliver and Diggle could make out remnants of fresh blood against the cold, grey floor. The vibrant color mocked them as they approached.

Diggle glanced down at his friend. Oliver's shoulders were tenser than ever before and the shadow was omni-present on his features. "...Oliver, I-"

Wasting not another second, Oliver turned and ran out of the room. The two men ascended onto surface level once more and climbed onto the shore side.

Over by the tree line, Sara and Laurel were crouched by the sand. As the two men approached, Sara glanced over her shoulder. "Footprints. Two pairs. The first appears to be bare feet, and the second set of tracks are on top of the first ones."

Diggle frowned down at the blonde woman. "So one of them was followed? Felicity managed to escape and Slade followed her? That would explain how she triggered the beacon in the plane wreckage."

"That was hours ago. If that's all we have to go on, it's not much," Laurel pointed out as she gazed into the thick vegetation.

Oliver gruffed, "It's all we've got. Come on."

* * *

The four of them rushed to the plane wreckage and once safe hideout for Oliver. The place looked much the same as he remembered it and he felt the familiar tug of safety lull his heart and mind. Still, it didn't hold the same allure this time around, knowing Felicity had tried to use it as safe haven also. She wasn't here. And no one had been for quite a while.

Oliver stood beside Sara as the two of them looked down at the dried pool of blood on the field only a few yards away from the wreckage.

The man exhaled slowly as he felt unable to pull his gaze away from the sight. "She's lost a lot of blood, Sara. If she's not... If she..."

The warrior woman offered her friend a warm smile and squeezed his arm in support. Her voice carried strong in the afternoon as she said, "Felicity's strong. She's a survivor... She's still out there, Oliver."

"Slade did all of this because of me," he breathed.

Diggle and Laurel joined them then outside the plane wreckage and their eyes scanned the forest line around them.

Laurel hesitated as she asked, "... What do we do now?"

Sara nodded down towards the blood pool and explained her theory, "I think Slade caught up to her here. We know he didn't take her back to the prison. Knowing Slade, he'll probably take her somewhere important to him. You and I know how he thinks, Ollie, if we split up and check potential sights... We have a bigger chance of finding her quicker."

Oliver inclined his head in agreement. "Radio if you find anything."

"What do we do... when we find him?" Laurel's question lingered in the hot air around them.

"Kill him," Oliver spoke in a determined voice. The others were taken by surprise and all whirled around to face him. The tone was different from previously, and they could see the battle in his eyes were clouding his heart. "He took Felicity here... and he won't get away with it."

Diggle took a step towards his friend and tried to find a way to pull him back from the ledge. "Oliver... You're blinded by your hatred right now. You need to clear your head if you're to find her. Focus on Felicity, not your anger against Slade. We all need you to think clear."

"I _am_ thinking clearly, Dig!" Oliver snarled like a wild beast. "I don't get it. I've killed before when I had to and you've never called me out on it like this, Dig. I thought you'd understan of all people.d"

"I know you sometimes have to take a life. We've both done it. But I know you, Oliver," John tried again but felt the moment slip through his fingers like sand. "Killing Slade isn't about self-defense or necessity... This isn't you, man. I know it's difficult being back here, but this is not who you are. You still haven't left the island behind, Oliver."

"Because I can't be free of it!" Oliver shouted in return, and the words carried strong across the plain. "Isn't this a perfect example of _why _I can't leave this in the past? Slade took Felicity to _my purgatory_, to have her live through the same hell that I did! He wanted her to suffer for _my_ sins, for what I've done to him. He wants to break her, like this place broke me. The Island made me who I am today. It made me a killer and scraped away the man. Slade was right, this is who I am. Nothing will change that."

"Oliver, don't do something you'll-" Diggle cut himself off as Oliver suddenly shook his head ferociously. Without another word, he turned and sped off towards the deep vegetation and left the others behind.

Laurel turned to him. "I'll go with him. You two stay together."

Sara inclined her head as she gazed at her elder sister. She pressed a walkie talkie into the woman's hand and breathed, "Be careful."

"You too," Laurel smiled before she ran after Oliver.

* * *

Felicity crawled across the forest floor, between sharp branches and low grass that tickled her palms. When she'd washed ashore a few hours earlier, she'd felt beaten and bruised by the cruelty of life, but alive nonetheless. Her ribs ached in rhythm to her leg. Several stitches on her back and stomach had been undone by the trip in the strong current.

The fresh blood stained her shirt, that had certainly seen better days. She'd wrapped her belt around her upper thigh to keep the blood loss at a minimum. Still, everything felt feeble at this point. She had no more strength should Slade find her again. She could barely keep her eyes open as her head felt about ready to explode.

As she collapsed beside a berry bush, her thoughts drifted to her family. To her mother in Vegas, to the grandfather she'd loved and lost. Most of all, she missed the family she'd made in Starling City. Oliver, Diggle, Roy... Heck, even Quentin and Laurel. And Dick, she reminded herself. Of course she missed Dick.

She fantasized about being back home in Starling with them all. Surrounded by people she loved, who loved her, and of happy days soon forgotten.

Maybe, she allowed herself to think, she'd never see any of them again. Maybe Oliver wouldn't make it to her on time, after all. No, she thought. She couldn't afford to think like that, not as long as there was a breath left in her body. Oliver could still come and she had to believe in that. It was the last of her life lines and she clung to it selfishly as she watched the sun rays descend between the trees.

She closed her eyes for a second, but they shot open at once. If she rested now, there was a chance she'd never awaken. She had to keep going just a little while longer. She'd washed ashore somewhere on the way towards the one beach she knew on this place. If she kept going in the direction she thought was right, she might end up where she started. If she was close to the beach, the rescue mission might run smoother and they wouldn't have to search for her.

Felicity pulled herself together as she stumbled onto her feet and slowly limped forward.

* * *

Oliver stopped by a bush and crouched low beside it. Laurel breathed heavily beside him as she caught up to him and watched as he read the nature for any signs that might help them.

"Dried blood," he explained in a short voice. "They went through here."

Laurel wiped sweat from her brow as she glanced down at the man. She decided to test the waters, "I... I wanted to apologize. I know I tried to convince you to kill Slade back in Starling, but I know that's not what you want. That you want to be a better man and leave that in the past."

Oliver swiftly rose from the ground and snarled in return, "Not right now I don't."

"I know what you said to Diggle earlier, but..." Laurel's voice faded into the forest. She felt anguish wash over her as she saw his bittersweet resolve turn harder and harder. "...You _are_ a better man."

"Laurel…" the man spun around to face the woman. Something dark in his voice suggested she not push for more right now. His voice was dangerously low as he said, "When I find Slade, he's _mine_. Do you understand? You _don't_ interfere."

"Well, well!" a raspy voice echoed between the trees and the couple turned. Slade stood upon a ridge with a snarling grin spreading across his face. "Had a change of heart had we? I knew I was right about you."

Oliver stepped in front of Laurel and aimed his bow right at Slade's chest. His eyes burned with pure hatred. "_Where is Felicity?!_"

* * *

Sara ran next to Diggle through the woods. The two of them had checked the cave already, but with no luck. There had been no tracks to suggest anyone had been there and the two had agreed to remain closer to the beach. Chances were that if Felicity had gotten free, she'd return there. Slade, too, would not be threatened by keeping it simple for Oliver and his team. Slade wanted the showdown sooner rather than later.

About a hundred yards to the left of the search party lay the beach and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore lulled them into false safety. They knew Slade could appear any second and attempt to kill them. Or they could find Felicity's broken body lying in a bush. The thought kept them both on edge and they hardly spoke.

"... I've never seen Oliver like that," Sara suddenly breathed, breaking their moment of peace.

Diggle met her gaze and tiredly spoke, "Neither have I."

"We can't let him lose himself. We need to find her."

The leaves rustled beside them then and they drew their weapons at the approaching figure.

"... Sara?" a faint voice carried above the soft breeze and Felicity stumbled out from behind the bush.

* * *

"You're here sooner than expexted, kid," Slade drawled as he stood tall on the ridge before them. "Let me guess, she got the radio to work, after all?"

"What have you done to her?" Oliver snarled and kept the arrow aimed at the dead center of the other's heart.

"I'll tell you in excrutiating detail."

"I'll settle for knowing where she is. Tell me."

"..._Dead_," Slade grinned. "The Island killed her."

"You're lying..." Laurel breathed from behind the Arrow.

"I'm not, actually," the Australian man assured and took a limping step towards them. "You see... I tried to break her. Repeatedly. I cut into her fine, porcelain skin. I tried to get to her wondrous mind by assuring her you weren't coming. Nothing worked. She's truly incorruptible, your Felicity. But then the Island caught hold of her, and did what I could not. She threw herself into the river... and never resurfaced."

Their enemy stepped ever closer and Oliver held the man's gaze. He saw truth reflected in the dark pools across the abyss and knew Slade wasn't lying. Blinding rage caught him off-guard and with a beastly growl he fired an arrow. Slade easily ducked out of the way and withdrew his long blade as Oliver threw himself forward.

Oliver leaped out of the way as Slade swung the sharp edge towards him. He swiftly changed tactic and aimed a kick towards the man's chest. Slade exhaled in pain as he stumbled backwards, but soon recovered. He threw a punch towards the younger man's face and connected with his jaw. Laurel gasped as Oliver fell to the forest floor.

Oliver hauled himself up, barely hurting from the wound. His mind was clouded with grief and fury as he battled his enemy in hand-to-hand combat. He swung harder than he ever had in the past. His mind was absorbed by Felicity and how the man before him had taken her from him. The blade soon fell from Slade's hand as Oliver got in another kick straight to the chest.

Slade fell to the forest floor and landed hard on his back. Oliver withdrew an arrow from his quiver and held it in his grasp, memories of the last time he'd faced Slade on the Island flashing bright through his mind. This would end no differently from that time. He distantly heard a noise that didn't fit into the forest behind him. It was a static noise that annoyed and interrupted him. He blocked it out from his mind and focused on his task. Oliver launched himself forward, ready to pierce Slade's other eye with the sharp edge.

"_Felicity_!" Laurel cried behind them and Oliver faltered.

He raised his gaze, expecting to see the blonde step out from a tree behind him. No one came. His heart fell at once, but before his rage could return full force, Slade knocked him out of the way.

The Australian man scrambled to his feet as Oliver's head spun from the hit. Slade spared him one final glance before picked up his blade and ran off between the trees.

Bruised, but not beaten, Oliver dragged himself to his feet and found his bow in the shrubbery. He hastily raised it with an arrow against the string and tried to get a clear shot to kill Slade. He fired an arrow, but it missed by a few inches. He pulled out another arrow, but a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Let him run," Laurel pleaded with the man who staggered in place. Slade was already too far gone, and she needed to pull him back from the abyss. She waved the walkie talkie in her hand and whispered, "Come on. They found Felicity. You need to go to her. She needs you now."

* * *

Oliver didn't hear or see anything as he ran between the trees, letting the forest green around him blend together into a swift blur as he rushed towards his goal. He couldn't believe the news, nor what he'd almost done out of anger and grief. If Felicity had been dead, he would never have forgiven himself. In fact, he thought, he still couldn't.

He suppressed the idea and ran faster towards the beach. As his feet touched the sand and the forest was left behind him, he exhaled slowly. His eyes scanned the beach and he saw three figures beside the small plane in the distance. With Laurel practically forgotten as she came after him, Oliver hurried towards the others.

He sank into the sand beside Felicity and pulled her into his arms. She basically lay across his lap as he held her close and felt her nails dig into his back.

When he pulled back at last, he let his eyes roam across her body and face to assess the damage. Her bare feet were covered in scratches. Her pants were torn and the belt around her right thigh covered a gun shot wound that would need proper treatment soon. Her blue, fashionable shirt was covered in dried blood, sand and sweat. He didn't want to imagine what hid beneath the clothes. Her hair was curly and messy, some dry blood caught up there as well. Her face, too, was bruised and there were dark rings under her eyes. The azure color still danced strong and she smiled at him in relief.

"Yo-you're crying," she managed. Oliver merely smiled but offered her no words as his grip tightened around her. He never wanted to let go.

Diggle knelt in the sand beside them and squeezed the young woman's shoulder, as if to reassure himself she was safe with them. "You did good, girl. I'll start the plane."

Oliver flashed him a grateful smile as he looked up. The Lance sisters were standing over to the side, watching the young blonde safe and sound in Oliver's arms.

The man sniffed as he looked back down at her face and felt his inner turmoil persist. As if able to read his mind, her features clouded with a frown and she asked, "...Slade?"

He was hell-bent on not letting her see the truth, however, and so plastered on a wide smile. "He won't hurt you again."

"Is he...?"

"He fled," Oliver shook his head.

"Too afraid to live, too afraid to die..." Felicity murmured and winced in pain as she tried to stand up.

Oliver's hand on her shoulder gently pushed her back down. "Rest, Felicity. You've done your work. We'll take care of you now."

She visibly relaxed into his arms and Oliver held her gaze. How she could relax in the arms of a monster was beyond him, but he didn't care right now. It felt right to hold her, to know she would be safe now. This time, his smile was genuine as it crossed his features. "Let's go home."

* * *

_To be continued!_


	10. Into Darkness

_A/N: I'll admit, last chapter went through many different versions before I settled on the final one. I think it came out for the best in the end. Now, this chapter, and the flashbacks in particular, is a turning point I've been building towards since 'Episode 1'. Are you ready for the turn of the tide?_

_Synopsis: 6 weeks after the ordeal on Lian Yu, Felicity returns from recuperation abroad only to find that things have changed in her absence. Laurel is gone, Simon Cross' influence over QC is at an all-time high and Oliver has withdrawn from the public eye. _

_Flashbacks (or dreams, in this case, too) in Italics, as always._

_I do hope you enjoy this chapter and the twists it provides!_

* * *

**3x10: Into Darkness**

_Oliver followed his running prey with the arrow. The compound bow was strung tight and the aim never lowered as he followed the fleeing target. In that second, he felt as one with the forest around him. He could feel the rustle of the leaves as the wind blew by, the scent of foreign berries to his left, the sweat against his back as the sun lingered in the sky above._

_He exhaled slowly and released the arrow. As it left his bow, Oliver knew it would hit its mark. The notion didn't please him, as he had expected, but he calmly accepted the dark truth. It had to be done, after all. __He watched the thin, sharp weapon soar through the air, heading in a straight line towards its target._

_Oliver watched as the arrow pierced Slade's neck, and the man fell to the ground. Slade Wilson was dead._

Oliver awoke with a start. His chest heaved with a need for oxygen as the nightmare rewinded itself in his head. It was the same dream he'd had almost every night for the past weeks.

Every night he relived his encounter with Slade in the woods on Lian Yu, and it was almost exactly as it had been in reality. _Almost_, except that the dream ended with him killing Slade, instead of letting him flee.

Unable to go back to sleep, Oliver pushed back his covers and stepped out of bed. He padded bare-feet across his silent, dark flat as he listened to his own raggedy breathing fill the void. He stepped into the small kitchen and opened the fridge. The cool air helped to stabilize his mind and he inhaled deeply as he let the last remnants of the dream fade away with the coldness.

Oliver withdrew a bottle of water and took a deep swig. He leaned back against the counter as he felt his mind clear up once more.

Six weeks had passed since that day in Purgatory, six weeks since he'd almost killed his once friend and ally. 10 months ago, when he had spared Slade's life after he had attacked Starling City, everything had been different. Oliver had been on top of the world after that. The city had accepted him as a hero, and he'd even embraced that title for himself. He had made the right choice and saved himself, in a way, that time.

But when Slade had escaped from his cell to torment him once more, Oliver had started to question his mind and reasoning. He had let Slade live back then, and in return Slade had nearly killed Felicity. Oliver had come closer than ever to losing one of the most important people in his life, and it had driven him towards a steep edge from which there was no return.

When he'd learned Felicity had been taken to Lian Yu, he'd been terrified. The Island played with your mind and stripped you of your humanity, leaving you a cold-hearted monster. He had feared the worst. It wasn't her death that scared him the most, it was the loss of her soul. Felicity represented all that was good in his life, and Slade had all but ripped that part of his soul from his bleeding bones and crushed it to hopeless dust.

Even when they had found Felicity, and Oliver held her safe in his arms, he knew deep inside something had to change.

She had never been his to lose, but still he felt as if he had lost her in a way. He had to let her go, and everything else she represented. He had been the cause of her suffering, he had nearly cost her everything. In the grand scheme of things, he didn't deserve the innocence and humanity she brought into his life. He could see this clearer than ever before now.

Oliver knew he had fooled himself thus far in thinking that he could ever return from the Island and reclaim his life. The man he had once been was dead and buried on the Island, along with his humanity and heart. There was no point fighting the inevitable. He had thought he could be both Oliver and Arrow, but the whole ordeal with Slade had proven how wrong he'd been. He'd tried to put that part of him aside, and focus on the rest - focus on a relationship, focus on getting QC back, focus on family and friends - but it seemed fate had other plans for him. If he was to continue living, he had to choose one over the other. The choice, it seemed, had already been made for him.

Oliver glanced up at his clock on the kitchen wall. _04:13_. He could use more rest, but he didn't much feel like going to back to sleep. Today was a big day. Five weeks ago, Felicity and Dick had gone to England to recuperate from their injuries and today they would return to Starling City. Five weeks without seeing her had been easy, it had given him time to turn off parts of his humanity and create much needed space. The thought of seeing her again felt harder. He'd had five weeks vacation from his heart, four if you counted from his goodbye with Laurel. _That_ had been the final straw, in a way. Laurel had been his last link to the past, and when he'd cut that chord he'd released himself of 'Oliver Queen'. But that was another matter he didn't much like to linger on in his mind.

There was a strange tug in his heart as he pondered the coming day and Oliver tried to understand the sensation inside his chest. He felt meek excitement mix with trepidation and impassionate dismay. The emotions barely fazed him and he shrugged them off easily, as if nothing more than dust on his collar.

No, Oliver realized, he wasn't particularly looking forward to facing Felicity and Dick again.

* * *

**4 weeks earlier**

_Oliver stood over by one of the tall windows in the grand hall as he gazed about at the occupants of the vast, open ballroom. Outside, a few droplets of pearly-white snow were drifting towards the ground, blissfully ignorant of anything and everything. He wasn't sure exactly how, but somehow they'd gotten to December already. Time, it seemed, was something he'd never control or understand, as he watched it spill through his fingers like sand._

_Oliver sipped from his glass of champagne. The room was littered with numerous guests in fine clothing. Some bright and colorful dresses blended seamlessly with classical suits befit for the joyous occasion._

_Oliver himself wore a grey suit and green tie as he tried to blend in with the tapestries at the wedding reception._

_Laurel had asked him to be his date to the wedding a week before Slade had kidnapped Felicity, and Oliver had hesitantly accepted. Their relationship had stood on shaky legs as they tried to find their way towards each other in the never-ending dark. In fact, Oliver was aware that their relationship was far more rockier after Felicity had been brought home, alive and mostly sound. When the worst of her injuries had healed, the woman had left with Dick to recuperate and the town had felt empty without her. Somehow, her absence had only served to further drive a wedge in between Oliver and Laurel, though they never talked about it in so many words. Oliver preferred to turn a blind eye to the whole ordeal, as it was._

_Laurel was still the epitome of kindness to him, but Oliver had noticed an edge to her voice that hadn't been there before. Something darker in her clever eyes that seemed to look past his defenses for the first time since they'd met all those years ago._

_Oliver looked at the woman now, where she stood on the other end of the room. She wore her long hair loose in curls, matched with the lilac dress of a bridesmaid. Laurel was in deep conversation with her mother, the new bride, who basically shone in a simple, white dress. Dinah was positively glowing and it pleased Oliver to see the woman so happy, though she had clearly moved on from her first husband. Quentin was, for obvious reasons, not present. Neither was Sara, but for different reasons. The League had been unable to let her leave this time. The youngest Lance had, however, sent a large bouquet and promised to pay a visit in the near future to make amends. Oliver had seen the hurt in Dinah's eyes as Laurel had told her she was the only one in their family who would attend, but it had soon waned like the moon at her appreciation of having at least one daughter present. _

_Laurel caught his eye then across the crowd and flashed him a wide grin. Oliver raised his glass in a silent toast to both women before he turned his gaze and looked out at the falling snow again._

* * *

The sun had but risen above the horizon when Felicity and Dick landed in Starling City. _Home_, as Felicity liked to call it. She'd breathed in the familiar air and felt comfortable in her skin for the first time in over a month. There was at least an ounce of truth in the old saying, she thought; There's no place like home.

The first order of business for Felicity had been just that; business.

Before long she found herself dressed for the office - in a pencil skirt, a pink blouse and flats - as she stepped inside the massive building that was Queen Consolidated.

As she rode the elevator towards the top in solitude, Felicity exhaled and filled her thoughts with memories of the past few weeks abroad to keep herself occupied.

She remembered back to when Jane had proposed the idea. Jane's former company, Deleon International, kept a steady exchange with a local spa in England, where their employees could come every once in a while to recuperate or rehabilitate in the calm and quiet country side. With Jane's help, Felicity had taken a shorter leave of absence and flown to England for some much needed respite.

Felicity had to admit, she had been hesitant about the idea at first, but it had done wonders to her soul. She'd enjoyed the peaceful location just outside of York, where there had been no interruptions or must-dos as she recovered from her injuries with a physical therapist and Dick's loving company.

The numerous cuts Slade had given her had stopped hurting by now, only the gun shot wound on her thigh pained her from time to time. Most of the wounds were already fading into gnarly scars she'd carry with her for the rest of her life. She was still getting used to seeing them glare back at her in the reflection. Slade had given her a particularly branding scar between her shoulder blades that she kept covered almost at all times. She'd grown accustomed to it by now, but had a feeling _someone_ she knew would not take it as well.

Returning to the States had felt like the right time after five weeks abroad. She was well-rested, felt loved with Dick by her side and knew she couldn't escape the real world forever.

Truth be told, though, she wasn't entirely okay and still awoke from nightmares in the middle of the dark at times. She still had a rocky slope ahead of her, but she'd get there someday by putting one foot ahead of the other. Returning to reality felt both invigorating and terrifying at the same time.

Felicity wasn't sure what it was, but everything seemed to carry a surreal edge to it now as she looked upon her life. Six weeks ago she had thought she might die and today-

The elevator pinged and Felicity pulled herself out of her thoughts. She raised her chin high reflexively as she stepped out of the elevator. She steered to the left and walked towards the office of her most recent employer.

She managed a slight smile as she stepped into the glass office and Jane stepped out to meet her.

"Felicity," the Brit grinned and shook her hand in greeting. Sharply dressed as always, Jane cut quite the business figure this morning. "I'm glad to see you again."

Felicity followed the other woman towards the large desk as she explained, "I'm glad to be back. I wanted to thank you for arranging-"

Jane raised her hands then as she stepped around the workstation and said, "No need to thank me, dear. It was well-deserved," the blonde hesitated as she waded in the shallow waters, "...I hate to ask the cliche question; but how are you feeling?"

Felicity shuffled from one foot to the other as she remained standing before her boss. "Good. _Better_."

Jane didn't seem like she entirely bought the charade, but played along nonetheless, "And you're sure you want to return to work on Monday?"

"Positive."

"...Alright," the Brit acknowledged with a smile. "If you say so."

There was a sharp knock on the door then and both women turned as Simon Cross stepped inside. The grey-haired man grinned as he stepped towards them with his usual grace and suave demeanor. Somehow, he always made Felicity's skin crawl. "Ah... Ms Smoak. Welcome back from your holiday."

"Rehabilitation," the blonde corrected automatically.

The man pretended not to have heard as he gazed about, pretending to search for someone. "You... didn't bring Oliver with you? _What a pity_," he drawled and his eyes sparkled. "I thought now that his ex-play toy had returned, so would he. Oliver's missed the last two board meetings, you see. It's a shame he's not taking his responsibilities seriously this time. Then again, who ever thought he would?"

Dumbstruck by the revelation, Felicity merely blinked. "... I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for this."

"There is," Simon agreed with a fervent nod as he drew closer still. He stopped a few feet away from the EA and finished, "He's probably constantly hungover in bed."

"Was there something you wanted, Simon?" Jane interrupted with barely contained irritation.

The man chuckled lightly as he handed over the paper in his hand and said, "I need you to sign this and send it over to Stellmore this afternoon. If it's not too much trouble." Simon turned to leave, but stopped himself halfway to the door. He turned back and called, "Oh, and Ms Smoak? Remember to thank your friend for me. It seems he's finally understood what I knew all along. It's better to leave the real business with the grown ups."

The man flashed both women a carefree smirk before he turned around sharply and stepped out of the office, his expensive flats clicking against the cold floor as he went.

Felicity could merely blink. She was used to the language that came with chauvinistic pigs in the company, but it was the words and their reflection that startled her. She couldn't believe Oliver would... She cleared her thoughts as she turned back to watch Jane. The young Brit looked back at her with sympathy and compassion.

"It's true," Jane admitted at length. "I was just going to ask you about it before that _prat_ came in. Oliver hasn't set foot in this building in over a month... He's not returning my phone calls. In fact, I haven't seen him at all since you left Starling. I need to discuss business with him, Felicity. I can't get this company back to him without his help. I thought it was time to move things along. I thought he could use the Charity fund he restarted and host a fundraiser soon. It would benefit him and QC."

Felicity nodded leisurely as she let the proposal settle. "… I'll talk to him about it."

"Cheers," Jane smiled and inclined her head. "See you Monday, Felicity."

"Bye."

* * *

As Felicity exited the building, Diggle waited outside. The body guard stood reclined against the side of his dark van by the curb. He seemed lost in the deep pools of his baby girl's eyes as the young one gazed about at the exciting new world he was showing her. The height that was the Queen Consolidated building seemed both terrifying and amusing to Maya, who gurgled enthusiastically.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise," Felicity smiled as she stepped over to join them. She stroked the girl's cheek and the little one turned to her and gasped loudly. Maya was still too small to talk, but still made a few appreciative sounds as she recognized the blonde woman.

"It's good to have you back," John smiled warmly, "Maya and I thought we could pick you up. Take you out to lunch."

Felicity felt the first genuine smile grace her lip that day. "I'd like that very much."

Felicity helped the man open the car door and watched as he settled the baby in her car seat. Certain she was all buckled up and safe, John stretched tall and gazed down at his friend. The warmth was replaced by concern as he lowered his voice an octave and breathed, "We have some things to discuss."

Felicity smiled tightly. "I figured as much."

* * *

_Larry seemed like a decent enough figure, Oliver thought as he saw the man mingle with his guests this evening. There was a carefree attitude to him that seemed to make everyone in his presence calmer. After everything she'd been through, it was no wonder Dinah needed someone more like him._

_Wrapped up in his thoughts, Oliver didn't notice as the woman in question stepped up next to him. __"I'll always love Quentin."_

"_Mrs Lance!" Oliver breathed in surprise and offered her a gentle smile as he turned in her direction and let the rest of the party fade to the back of his mind. "I didn't hear you approach. What did you say?"_

_Dinah eyed him curiously as she sipped from her champagne. With an intriguing smile, she repeated, "I said I'll always love him, my Quentin. He'll always have a very special place in my heart, but… even if I didn't have Larry, it wouldn't work between us. If Quentin and I tried again… it would fail. We're different people now and, I think, deep down want different things. What we had was special… but that part of our lives is over. I'm not sad about that and I know Quentin understands, too... It's just the way life is, Oliver. You move on to other things, not necessarily better but certainly just as good..." she turned her gaze towards her new husband and Oliver saw her features soften with love. "And I hope you don't think that I take anything for granted, Oliver. I've been very fortunate to have two soul mates in my life… Sometimes you have to let go of past dreams to embrace future ones. To embrace the only person you can truly see yourself with."_

_Oliver inclined his head sharply as her words lingered with him. "...I know what you mean, Mrs Lance."_

_Dinah pulled herself form her thoughts and once more turned to face the younger man by her side. She smiled up at him as she hurriedly explained, "Having said that, I know that's my case. Other couples can find their way back together even after years apart... like you and Laurel. I was very happy to see you here, Oliver, with my daughter."_

_Oliver ducked his head. "And I'm happy to see you happy. You've been through a lot, Mrs Lan- Sorry, __Mrs __Drake__, and deserve some peace. Your whole family does..."_

"_As do you, my dear… Never forget that," Dinah smiled and squeezed his arm as she walked away to join her husband._

_Oliver watched her go, but couldn't bring himself to smile back. His eyes wandered to Laurel briefly before his gaze fell to the floor._

* * *

Thrown right back into the deep end of the pool, Felicity inhaled deeply and tried to collect her mind as she leaned back in the booth at Big Belly Burger. Roy had joined her and Diggle out for lunch, and the younger man sat opposite her, greedily eating his burger. Diggle sat beside the other man, feeding Maya who sat in a baby chair next to their little booth. To have a team lunch felt foreign, yet familiar territory, to Felicity, who tried to ease into the comfortableness before she pushed onward.

Realizing she couldn't postpone it any further, Felicity leaned her elbows on the countertop, pushing her half-eaten burger aside, and said, "Spill. Tell me everything. Don't spare me any details."

Roy and Diggle exchanged a look. Felicity shrugged her eyebrows. That had to be a bad sign. Impatiently, she waited for either or both of them to explain exactly what had transpired in the past six weeks she'd been gone. She was starting to get the feeling she'd ended up in the Twilight Zone somehow.

"... Where do you want us to start?" Roy asked tentatively as he slowly turned back to face the blonde.

"What about Thea?" Felicity asked. "Anything new?"

Roy's face fell. "I've met her a few times, but I can't get through to her. She won't let me in and she's being very secretive about _everything_. The only thing I know is that she doesn't want to see Oliver, and he seems okay with that."

Felicity frowned as she vividly pointed towards her ear and spoke, "I'm sorry, I must still have some barotrauma after the flight. I thought you said he was 'okay' with it. He can't be... Is he?"

"He is," the young man sighed. "He hasn't really tried to make contact with her either."

"He loves Thea more than _anything," _the woman argued as the incredulousness of the situation settled in her brain. "I... I don't understand."

Diggle snorted and held her gaze. "You're not the only one..."

"Jane said she hadn't seen Oliver in six weeks," Felicity continued cautiously as she processed everything she'd learned up till this point. "And you're telling me he hasn't even seen his prodigal sister?"

"All he does is work, Felicity," John gruffly explained at the unspoken question that lingered in the tension. Concern touched the edge of his voice as he elaborated, "_Not_ with Queen Consolidated. With Amanda Waller."

"So Arrow-business..."

Diggle inhaled as he held her gaze. He seemed to struggle with the words, but soon decided to share the news regardless. "There's more, Felicity."

"_More_?" she breathed.

"Laurel's gone."

"Gone? Where? _Why_?" Felicity questioned. She felt like she was participating in a twisted game of '20 questions' without ever signing up to play. What was going on here?!

John inclined his head leisurely. "Oliver and Laurel broke up. About a month ago. Oliver doesn't want to talk about it. But I do know she took an extended leave of absence and is staying with her mother in Central City for a while."

"Oh..." Felicity sank back in her seat dumbfounded. "But why? I thought… he loved her. That they… would…"

"Yeah, well, proves you can't control your heart," Diggle offered with a meek shrug as he gently stroked the top of Maya's head.

Worry consumed Felicity then, as she pondered it all. How the world seemed to have crumbled around her while she was gone.

* * *

Oliver strode into Amanda's office an hour after lunch. Dressed in jeans and a black tee, he still carried himself as if he wore a thousand dollar suit. He didn't much like spending time at the A.R.G.U.S HQ, but today he was willing to make an exception. Thinking back on it, he'd spent more time doing A.R.G.U.S bidding during this past month than he had in years. He still remembered Hong kong vividly, but preferred not to think back on those days anymore.

The woman in question sat stiff as a board while he closed the door behind him. She didn't say a word even as he turned back to face her. Not until he sank into the seat opposite her desk, did Amanda speak, "As you know, we kept Castor Barnes locked up after the failed casino robbery in Las Vegas."

"It wasn't a robbery," Oliver reminded her sourly, "He and his brother wanted me show my _true colors_."

Amanda tilted her head to the side as she pressed her lips into a tight line. "I am aware... Castor Barnes gave a confession this morning."

Oliver frowned as he leaned his elbows on his knees and pointed out, "You mean he 'broke under torture'."

The woman merely shrugged off the implication as she exhaled slowly. Her impassive eyes flared with irritation before she said, "He gave us the name of who had hired them for the job: Drake Constantin." Amanda handed her agent a small tablet and Oliver gazed down at the photograph of the man with olive skin, long, narrow nose and honest eyes. "Mr Constantin's an assassin with a thorough background in killing. He first took a life at the age of 8. He's trained martial art since he was 12. My sources say he's never been beaten in hand-to-hand combat. It's long been assumed Mr Constantin wants to climb the ranks and make something of himself. It seems now he's putting in the effort. Apart from the Barnes' twins, we also have reason to believe he hired the Blazing Infernos and made their car explode as they were about to give away Constantin's name to your colleague."

Oliver's gaze danced with contemplation as he let her words sink in. All the cases mentioned had one unmistakable connection. "... You're saying the actual target is _me_."

"Your secret identity, to be exact."

Oliver wet his lips as he pushed for more details. "And... Correct me if I'm wrong, but you said the Barnes' twins were involved with the computer shut down at Iron Heights that led to Doctor Death's escape. You think Constantin's the mastermind behind that, too?"

"Correct," Amanda nodded sharply. "We believe Seth Hellfern and Drake Constantine are allies. As you are aware, it is still imperative that we find Doctor Death before he can complete his mind-controlling drug and release it on the world."

"Everything's always about death and destruction with you, isn't it?" Oliver muttered.

"There are many powerful enemies out there who want to inflict injury on us, Oliver," Amanda snarled back, "I simply prefer being better than them. Now, if you find Mr Constantin he can give us Hellfern's position. I've already sent you the details of Constantin's last known address in the city. Do _whatever you need_ to get the necessary information. That's an order, Oliver."

"It always is," Oliver breathed gruffly as he rose from his seat and exited the room without uttering another word.

* * *

"Hey," Dick breathed as he saw his girlfriend walk towards him. He rose from behind his desk and waved down at the pile of paperworks that rested precariously upon it. "I'm just about done."

"I can see that," Felicity breathed in jest as she eyed the pile. Dick leaned down and gave her a sweet kiss before taking a step back. Felicity could see the trepidation shine bright within her boyfriend's eyes. She knew he was worried about her health and general well-being. He'd been nothing but attentive after the ordeal with Slade, and Felicity was grateful, she really was. But there was something else in his eyes, a constant flicker of guilt perhaps, that he refused to comment upon.

"Felicity?"

The woman turned as she heard her name being called out across the police station. She saw Quentin step out of an interrogation room and walk down the corridor towards the busier parts of the station to meet her. Detective Lance stopped a few feet away from Dick's desk and seemed to glow with relief of seeing the woman present before him.

"Quentin," Felicity smiled up at the older man. "I was hoping to run into you."

The man grinned tensely as his eyes traveled across her form, looking for any sign of injury or pain no doubt. His almost fatherly concern touched Felicity in a way that she felt unaccustomed to. She'd never experienced fatherly protection before, and she had to remind herself she was reading too much into it. The grin on his face seemed less tense as he didn't notice any pained features or a limp. "And I was hoping the same... How are you? I mean; really?"

"As good as new," the blonde promised in a bright voice that didn't quite seem to belong to her. Quentin shrugged his eyebrows in disbelief as he held her gaze captive. She cleared her throat and shrugged, her tone more genuine as she admitted in a low voice, "Mostly, anyway. It comes and goes."

Quentin nodded in understanding and reached out to squeeze her slender shoulder. His hand stayed on her coat-clad shoulder a second longer as he gently breathed, "I know the feeling. If you ever want to talk..."

As his voice drifted into nothing, Felicity smiled. "I know."

"We're overdue for another burger, I believe," the man suggested at length. "How about next week?"

Felicity nodded cheerfully and it seemed enough to break the last of the tension as Quentin returned her smile, too. The detective waved his thumb in Dick's direction and said, "Now take your boyfriend home for the day. He's done enough for his first day back."

"Thanks, Detective," Dick inclined his head as he reached for his thick jacket that hung on a rack behind his desk. "Coffee on me tomorrow morning, right?"

"You know it, Grayson," Quentin said. "Take care, Felicity."

"You, too," the blonde smiled and watched the detective walk away. There was something about his body language that seemed off. With Laurel out of town, Felicity wondered if the man felt lonely.

Dick whispered into her ear, "Ready to head for the lair."

She shook herself from her thoughts as she remembered the reason for her visit. "I am. And I have to tell you something about Oliver on the way."

* * *

"Whoa..." Felicity breathed as she stepped down into the lair. "Where's the fire?"

Oliver was already dressed in his green leather, though the clock was still early night and it was hours before he usually made his entrance into the vigilante world. Roy was scrambling by the weapons cabinet to retrieve his usual arsenal. The younger man, too, was dressed in his red outfit for the night, his mask hanging askew around his neck as he withdrew a tranquilizing gun. He inclined his head towards the approaching couple.

Felicity glanced further into the lair and saw Diggle leaned back against her workstation, his arms crossed over his sturdy chest as he watched the other two men prepare to head out. John merely shrugged as he met the woman's gaze, and the wordless conversation gave her more answers than she'd bargained for.

She turned back to face the last man. Oliver stood over by his glass case, with his tense back towards her as she stepped into the middle of the open main area. He visibly inhaled before he turned around. Their eyes met across the divide and Felicity nearly did a double-take at what she saw in his azure pools. Nothing. She didn't see anything - not happiness of her return, not concern for her rehabilitation process. There was hardly a recognition as he kept his posture cool and took a step towards her.

"Hey..." he breathed at length, but even his voice sounded inhuman. "... Welcome back."

"What's going on here?" Felicity asked wearily as Dick came up to stand beside her. "What's the rush?"

"Waller gave us a name that might bring us closer to Doctor Death," Roy clarified when no one else spoke up. "FYI: I'm still not a fan of that villain name."

"Drake Constantin," Oliver explained tensely. "Waller's information on the man proved vital. I can catch him tonight and find out what he knows about Seth Hellfern."

"Constantin?" Dick frowned. "I know that name. That man's _lethal_. I'm assuming you have a good plan to bring this man down, do you? Because he won't go down without a fight."

"Suit up or you won't find out," Oliver shrugged and threw the Escrima stick towards Dick.

The police man caught the weapon deftly in his palm as he held the other man's eyes. Dick's frown deepened as he hesitantly nodded. "... I'll go change."

The lair was silent as the man stepped out and Felicity's eyes travelled back Oliver on the other side of the room. She took a slow step towards him and whispered, "Can we talk?"

"Not now, Felicity," Oliver brushed her off as he slung his quiver over one shoulder and fastened it properly. "After we come back."

* * *

The sun had barely set behind the horizon as the three vigilantes found themselves running across the rooftops of Starling City. Their feet flew across the cold ground as they chased the shadow. Waller's information had proved correct in the end, but they hadn't caught Mr Constantin unprepared. He had basically set his apartment on fire before fleeing to the roof tops, the three masked vigilantes close on his heel.

Oliver was the fastest runner of the three and he knew he was catching up to the escaped man. Blood pumped through his veins and filled his body with a will to fight. He willed his body to move faster and was soon only a few yards behind his prey. Sensing his close call, Constantin ducked out of the way and leaped onto the roof to their right.

Before Oliver could correct his movement, he saw Nightwing come up next to him and jump ahead. Dick whipped his Escrima stick in the direction of the enemy and the blow threw Constantin down towards the hard roof top.

Constantin coughed as he glanced up at the figure that hovered above him, "Well, well... Aren't you a boy wonder?"

"I try to be," Dick mocked.

The man suddenly flew from the ground with an agility that hadn't been expected and attacked Dick without a moment's hesitation.

Constantin moved fast and fluently, one punch flowing seamlessly into a sharp kick. Dick tried to parry everyone of the moves, but lost his Escrima stick in the battle. The weapon clattered as it rolled into the shadows of the night. With a ferocious kick, Dick fell to the ground with a moan.

Oliver fired an arrow then, but it Constantin whirled around just in time to catch it in the palm of his hand. He grinned wickedly as he tossed the useless weapon aside.

He barely had any time to recover as Roy leaped towards him from the shadows. Less trained than the others, Roy threw several punches that seemed to catch the martial arts master off-guard. Constantin merely staggered before he deftly caught hand of Roy's wrist and turned. Roy howled in agony as he sank onto his knees.

"You need to learn more tricks, kid," Constantin growled before he knocked the red vigilante unconscious.

Despite having seen the man's obvious skill, Oliver didn't hesitate as he flew towards the man. The two dueled on the open rooftop with matching capabilities. Both were trained in the sacred art and were able to foresee the others move seconds before it came and managed to block or step out of the way nearly every time.

Thunder bolted through Oliver's heart, however, and he could feel the victory was close at hand. In the end, he managed to throw the man over his shoulder. Constantin slammed against the ground and before he could get up, Oliver crouched behind him. Oliver caught the man's neck in a reverse chinlock and held on tight.

"I know you're behind it all!" Oliver growled in his Arrow voice. "I know you've been trying to kill me and I know you're working with Seth Hellfern to distribute his drug. Tell me were I can find Hellfern or I'll break your neck!"

"_Oliver! Wha-"_ Felicity's voice sounded over the comms, but Oliver muted it without a second's hesitation before he fastened his hold around the enemy's throat.

Constantin chuckled despite the tight grip around his neck and seized to struggle. "The Blazing Infernos... The Iron Heights breakout... _Slade Wilson_..." Oliver's grip tightened reflexively at the mention of the name, but Constantin continued to calmly mock, though his voice came strained with the exertion, "The oncoming storm... It's not my work. I can't wait until you meet your opponent. You'll be surprised, I guarantee."

"Give me a name," Oliver snarled.

"You're as good as dead already," Constantin simply teased and unsuccessfully wrung himself to get loose.

"No, but you are!" Oliver breathed as he applied more pressure around the man's neck. Constantin made low choking noises as he writhed in pain.

Out of the shadows, a small item came flying towards them both. The sharp weapon in the shape of a bat hit Constantin square in the chest and he drew a couple of shaky breaths as his eyes drifted close. Oliver felt the body slump over in his arms as the breathing subsided. Drake Constantin fell dead agains the cold rooftop.

Oliver raised his disbelieving gaze and looked at Dick's approaching form. The other man was wearing an unreadable look in his eyes that only further served to push Oliver towards the ledge. He jumped from the ground as fury drove him forward.

"You're not me, Oliver," Dick breathed and his eyes flashed with anger.

"You shouldn't have gotten in my way!" Oliver growled as he stalked towards his ally.

Dick pushed the man back. "I didn't do it for you."

"He knew who hired Slade!" Oliver hissed. "... You shouldn't have stopped me."

"Killing him wouldn't have been revenge, Oliver. It wouldn't have solved anything," Dick disagreed and nodded towards the unconscious vigilante over on the side. "I'll grab Roy. Let's go."

* * *

_After the wedding reception had ended, Oliver and Laurel had withdrawn to their shared hotel room. The small suite barely held a double bed and a bathroom, but it was enough for the occasion. _

_Oliver sat on the bed as he watched Laurel at the other end of the room. She was humming a tune from the wedding as she stood before the mirror at the end of the bed, preparing for the night. "It was a beautiful wedding," she mused. _

_"Mm."_

_"I used to love weddings as a kid," Laurel grinned. "I used to sneak into churches when I knew someone was getting married, just to listen to the vows and the psalms. Do you have a favorite psalm? Oliver?"_

_"Hmm? Eh, no. What about you?"_

_"I've always loved the Corinthian. 'Love is patient, love is kind'..." Laurel explained gently. In a distant voice, she breathed, "__I want that at our wedding one day."_

_Oliver blinked as he scooted up further on the bed, suddenly acutely awake. "Wait, wait, Laurel… You want to get married?"_

_Laurel blinked as if pulled out of herself as she slowly turned to face the man. Something amusing flashed through her dark eyes. "__… Geez, Ollie. I hope that wasn't the actual proposal. I was hoping for a little more romance. At least a ring, or something."_

_"Laurel…" Oliver spoke tersely. "We only just started dating again."_

_"... I know," she exhaled slowly and the tension crept back into her voice as she sank onto the covers, half-turned towards him, half-turned away. "I used to believe... That when and if we found our way back to each other, it would all be easier. That our rough patches were in the past. That our years apart would be like... a long hiatus. That we'd be ready for the next step before long."_

_"I'm not. I'm not ready, Laurel… I can't. Don't…" Oliver breathed but words failed him._

_Laurel's profile was soft and hard at the same time, and Oliver couldn't quite read the expression that fluttered like butterfly wings across her face. "Take it easy. I'm not saying we should get married tomorrow or even in a year… I'm just saying I want that. Someday."_

_"Someday?"_

_"Mhm..." she hummed and turned her head in his direction. "Don't you? __...Ollie? You know I love you, right?"_

_Without thinking, he blurted, "Or do you love an idea of me?"_

_It was Laurel's turn to be stunned to silence. "... You know what, it's been a long day. We're both tired. And I... could really use a bath."_

_Oliver closed his eyes tight as the woman stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. He exhaled and let his head swim in guilt and grief of a life lost._

* * *

As Dick, Roy and Oliver returned to the lair, Felicity was standing by the stairs awaiting them. "What was that?" she questioned.

"A mission," Oliver explained simply as he brushed past her.

Felicity stared after him with her mouth hanging open as she tried to understand. As he stepped further into the lair, Felicity faced the other men. Roy was limping and was holding his wrist close to his chest.

Dick kept a sturdy hand on his young friend's shoulder as he explained, "We'll get changed and then I'm taking Roy to the hospital. It looks like it could be a fraction."

Felicity nodded and watched as Dick led Roy towards the back of the lair. As soon as they were out of sight, she slowly turned towards her partner. Oliver lingered in the middle of the room. He was still clasping his bow in one hand and had but discarded his mask on the table top beside him. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he breathed tensely. It seemed he knew he had done something wrong and was expecting her berating.

Diggle stood by the monitors and met Felicity's gaze over Oliver's head. With a sharp inhale, Felicity strode towards the man in the center of the room, "I repeat; what was that, Oliver? We're back to putting the _Fear of God_ into people?"

"We are," Oliver replied cooly.

"Why?"

Oliver glanced down at the woman and his eyes suddenly held a storm of emotion as he replied, "Because it's my way, Felicity."

"Not anymore, it isn't!" Felicity argued fervently and stood her ground. Without her heels, she became abundantly clear exactly how small she was next to Oliver Queen, but she pretended not to notice as she stepped even closer. "... Please, talk to me, Oliver."

"There's nothing to say."

"Diggle says you've been spending all your time working as the Arrow while I was away. _Why?_" Felicity pleaded and hoped her tone would reach through Oliver's raised walls, but he barely seemed fazed by her desperate attempts.

"The city needs me."

Diggle took a step towards them as he raised his voice, "What about what you need, man? You can't continue like this."

Oliver shook his head in disagreement as he held his shoulders tensely and exhaled. He didn't say a word and the silence reigned in the lair as the others waited for an explanation.

In the end, Felicity made another attempt, "I heard about Laurel. And Thea. And Jane says she's been trying to contact you with a business idea. A charity fundraiser. It could be good for business and bring you a step closer to reclaiming Queen Consolidated."

Oliver shook his head. "Oliver Queen is _never_ good for business."

John shrugged his eyebrows. "Back to third person, are we?"

"What do you mean…? Never?" Felicity frowned up at the man close beside her and tried to search his impassive face for any sign of the man she knew and cared for. "Of course you are. Can be. That's the point of getting your company back, isn't it? So that you can do the right thing?"

"Maybe the _right thing_ is to stay away from QC, Felicity."

The woman was silent a couple of seconds, before she tried her voice, "… You're giving up QC? Why? It's _yours_."

"Maybe Simon Cross should keep it," Oliver admitted with a defeated sigh.

Felicity exchanged another look with Diggle. She searched for the right words as she turned to face Oliver once more, "I'm sorry, but I must have be having a nightmare. You didn't just say that, did you?"

* * *

_The morning after the wedding, Oliver had packed his suitcase and placed it on the bed as he waited for Laurel to get ready. Their train was leaving in an hour, and he wanted to go home. He wasn't sure what pulled him towards Starling, but he simply didn't feel like staying away right now. Spending more time in Central City wasn't high on his wish list at the moment and he tried to focus his mind on the life that awaited him back home. Or rather, he couldn't wait to hood up in the disguise of night and do the one thing he was good at._

_As Laurel stepped out of the bathroom, Oliver glanced up at her. She was dressed in jeans and a casual sweater, but other than that didn't seem at all ready to depart. Oliver frowned. "Where's your suitcase?_

_Laurel smiled sadly as she lingered at the foot-end of the bed. She inhaled slowly and seemed to fill her lungs with power to make it through the following. As she exhaled, she remarked, "... I think we both know I'm not returning to Starling with you."_

_Oliver paused. Silence descended between them as he gazed across the chasm that seemed wider than ever between them._

* * *

The initial intervention with Oliver had been cut short as Dick and Roy had rejoined the group. Diggle had promised the men he could drive them to the hospital and then he'd head home to his ex-wife and child. The three men had quickly and quietly left the lair. Even as they left, the air felt stale with tension.

Felicity lingered in the lair, getting reacquainted with her computers after weeks apart and running standard updates of the systems. Oliver was still present, too. He'd changed from his green leather and was sharpening a few arrows by his own workstation. His compound bow lay discarded on the table top next to him.

After half an hour in silence, Felicity huffed out a breath of air. She couldn't go on like this, not after everything they'd been through. She needed him to return to her, and she whirled around in her chair. "Is this about Laurel?"

Oliver shook his head. "No."

"... Slade?" the word tasted funnily in her mouth and on its own made her shiver. Memories of his torture of her were still too fresh on her mind and she tried to suppress it.

"_Felicity_..." Oliver breathed tensely. "Let it go."

Felicity hesitated in her seat as she tried to calm her nerves. She hid her emotions behind a thin veneer as she rose and took a tentative step towards him, "You're... What happened wasn't your fault, Oliver."

"Yes, it was."

"_No_," Felicity persisted. "It was _Slade's_ fault. What he did to you, what he did to me..." she swallowed and stepped closer still towards his stiff form. "It wasn't our fault. You can't let him win like this. You can't shut off everything and let him consume you. You're not just the Arrow."

The man had yet to turn around to face her, but his tense profile told her she was pushing some serious buttons. "I _am_ the Arrow, Felicity!"

"You're also Oliver Jonas Queen!"

Oliver shook his head as he angrily whispered, "Not anymore. I can't be both, Felicity."

"Of course you can."

"I tried to kill Slade!" he hissed. "I _am_ just a killer!"

Felicity remained in the back as she felt her own cup fill to the brim. Flustered, she breathed, "But you didn't kill him!"

"Not for a lack of trying!" he all but shouted at her as he tried to keep a lid on his anger. He knew he'd never get her to see things the way he did, but he couldn't give her hope about this either. "I'm not… I can't be both Oliver and Arrow. I've lost too much."

As she saw his anger rise like a tide, Felicity drew a shaky breath, "I've told you once and it's worth repeating; You're not irredeemable, Oliver!"

"_I am_. There's no going back, Felicity!" he spun around in his chair and accidentally knocked the bow to the ground. It clattered loudly in the enclosed space and Oliver sighed. He picked it up and glanced back at his company.

Felicity stood immobile in the middle of the open area, her wide eyes caught in a distant memory and her body seemingly frozen in fear.

Oliver recognized the look and flew from his seat in a heartbeat, "_Felicity_!"

* * *

_Laurel slowly sat down on the covers next to Oliver and both gazed straight ahead for a few seconds as the moment caught up to them._

_Oliver heard the beautiful woman draw a shaky breath as she tried to contain her emotions. At length, she said, "I love you, Ollie. I always will... I even thought we were meant to be. But you're right... I love an idea of you. Of us."_

_Oliver grimaced as he nodded in agreement, "I think we both did. When I disappeared on the Queen's Gambit... I did everything wrong, Laurel. I know that. And I wanted to come home to you, to make amends. I clung to the idea of you and us when I was there. It became a life line. When I came home, I think we both turned a blind eye to the truth."_

_"We wanted it to be real," Laurel hummed. Oliver sat in silence as he saw her walls crumble and the truth wash over her._ _"We both made mistakes in the past, in a way. You shouldn't have cheated on me, you should never have treated me the way you did. But I shouldn't have pushed you into something you weren't prepared for either. For a life you weren't prepared for. I think we both wanted to do it right this time, but we can't... If we stay together, we'll keep each other in the past. And we're not there anymore, we shouldn't be, at least. We've both come such a long way, Ollie... I'm so proud of the man you've become."_

_"And I couldn't have been prouder of you, Laurel," Oliver reassured. __ Somehow, this moment still felt easier than he'd expected. He felt free in a way he never had in the past and hoped she did, too. _"I wish... I wish you all the best. Tommy. I wish Tommy was still alive. He would have made you happy where I cannot. But you shouldn't have to stay away from Starling because of me."

_"No, but because of me," Laurel explained. "I need to find my own path, Ollie. In Starling, after everything that's happened... I'm stuck in the past. I need to find a new path and look towards the future. And I can't stay with you right now, because I think we'll pull each other towards darkness."_

_Oliver saw the raw emotion flicker in her eyes and felt his own heart constrict. He firmly disagreed, __"On the Island, you stopped me from killing Slade."_

_"… I think we both know what stopped you." Laurel sighed and flashed him a sad, but heartfelt, smile. _

_Oliver inclined his head slowly as he read between the lines, "This is about Felicity."_

_"Oliver…" Laurel breathed and clasped his hand in hers. She squeezed it tight as she held his gaze. "The two of you make heroes of each other. It's… not something you see every day. Don't waste that opportunity because you're afraid to love. I only want to see you happy, Ollie. You deserve it more than anyone."_

* * *

Oliver saw Felicity's muscles tense more and more as he flew towards her. As if standing on a mine, she didn't budge a centimeter. He recognized all the tell-tale post-traumatic stress syndromes of a panic attack. It must have been the sound of the bow clattering heavily against the floor that had triggered it. His heart filled with agony for her as he saw her get lost deeper and deeper in her own eyes.

As his hand touched her arm, she violently flinched. Terrified she punched him and tried to run, but he caught her around the waist and pulled her close to him. Her back pressed against his chest and he held on tight as she trashed and tried to get loose.

"I-It's Slade," she cried in panic. "He wants to kill me. He has a gun- Let go! _Please_!"

Her veins were still filled with ice and she struggled to breathe as he held in her place. She could see Slade's sneering face before her, the gun raised and aimed straight at her. She'd heard the sound of the gun minutes before and knew he was close behind. She had to get out. She had to run. She could feel him run his blade across her stomach, letting her blood spill as pain invaded her body.

Oliver closed his eyes tight as he tried to calm her, "Sch, sch..."

"_Let go_!" the woman cried but her struggling subsided just a fraction.

"Sch…" Oliver breathed and felt grief and guilt slither around his heart like a snake. He couldn't let her go now. He couldn't step back as he had hoped. He had to hold on. "It's okay. You're okay. We're in the Lair. You're off the Island. You saved yourself that day, remember? You got away from him. Slade's gone. You're safe."

"No, Oliver, I-" Felicity choked and fell heavier in his arms as she stopped fighting him. She sank towards the floor and Oliver followed, still holding onto her tight.

"Sch. I'm sorry. I dropped the bow and it clattered, I should have-" Oliver stopped himself. This was no time to play a martyr. Instead he returned the focus to her as he held her closer. He leaned his cheek against her ear as he whispered, "Just relax. Focus on breathing. Breathe with me Felicity… Breathe in… and Breathe out."

She followed his lead wordlessly and he felt her slowly relax in his arms, one breathe at a time. They sat like that for another couple of minutes, before she sighed heavily. Her hand fell to cover his where it rested over her stomach and the last of her panic attack subsided.

Relieved that she had returned to him, Oliver also exhaled. "I'm sorry, Felicity. I shouldn't have... I should have..."

"… Don't leave me," she pleaded in a low, trembling voice that caught his attention better than if she had yelled at him. "Don't give in like this. I need _Oliver_."

Oliver struggled with his resolve and closed his eyes against the tormenting path that waited ahead. He'd tried to shut himself out, and with it her - but he'd been fooling himself. He could never shut Felicity, no matter how hard he tried. He would always do everything for her, and he was through pretending otherwise.

Ultimately, he sighed in defeat, "... I won't."

"Y-you said you couldn't go back," she breathed. "So don't. Move forward. One step at a time. With me."

"Okay..."

"_Say it_."

"Together..." Oliver whispered. "One step at a time."

"I-it won't be easy. I know. For either of us," Felicity promised and glanced at the man that sat behind her. He released her then so that she could turn and she smiled faintly through her fading panic and sorrow. "But I won't leave you."

Oliver nodded as he held her gaze across the small divide that separated them. "And I'll stay here, too."

"Thank you, Oliver."

"You have nothing to thank me for."

"Not nothing; _everything,_" she whispered and held his gaze.

Oliver tried not to get lost in the bottomless pools and lowered his eyes to the floor. He was a long way from crossing the final distance and he knew it. He pulled himself off the ground and helped her stand up, too. He looked down at her and tried to read the emotions in her eyes. "...Are you feeling better?"

She smiled and tugged a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "Much."

Oliver pulled back from her with a tight grin. "I'll drive you home. Well, to Dick's place."

Felicity's smile fell briefly before she nodded. "Thanks."

* * *

_Oliver followed his running prey with the arrow. The compound bow was strung tight and the aim never lowered as he followed the fleeing target. In that second, he felt as one with the forest around him. He could feel the rustle of the leaves as the wind blew by, the scent of foreign berries to his left, the sweat against his back as the sun lingered in the sky above._

_He exhaled slowly and released the arrow. As it left his bow, Oliver knew it would hit its mark. The notion didn't please him, as he had expected, but he calmly accepted the dark truth. It had to be done, after all. __He watched the thin, sharp weapon soar through the air, heading in a straight line towards its target._

_Oliver watched as the arrow pierced Slade's neck, and the man fell to the ground. Slade Wilson was dead._

Oliver woke up at once. The nightmare still plagued him, despite it all, and he ran a weary hand across his face as he tried to shake off the lingering hold of the dream world. One step at a time, he had promised Felicity. In truth, he knew it was more: one step forward, two steps back.

A part of him still believed that he had to make the choice; between Oliver and Arrow. There was no other way to move forward. He couldn't be the man he had once strived to be, he couldn't leave the Island in the past and live a happy, normal life. He had a feeling it didn't matter who tried to fix him, he was broken beyond repair anyway.

Still, he had promised not to let that part of him go, and so he would have to find a way to endure the coming storms. He only hoped he wouldn't disappoint Felicity and the others too much in the end. Perhaps they'd all see it too, how he wasn't fit to be Oliver any longer after all of the errors he'd made in his life.

* * *

**To be continued!**


	11. Trickle of Fear

_A/N: Well, SDCC sure as hell offered a few surprises and spoilers for the coming season of Arrow and in particular for Oliver/Felicity. I never thought we'd get this much Olicity so soon on the show, and I'm willing to admit I might have been wrong. I thought the show would go down the Oliver/Laurel route once more (which they still might one day), but now I'm thinking maybe they won't. Maybe Olicity is all that matters from here on out. If so: Bless the show and everyone involved! _

_But, make no mistake: Stephen Amell is the only one who voiced the idea that Laurel/Oliver or Sara/Oliver won't be items again in the future. The producers/others may have echoed the sentiment more vaguely, but they're also the same people who called Laurel/Oliver soulmates (resembling them with Clark/Lois) a few months back. Forgive me for not trusting them so blindly, and would prefer my version as it guarantees an end to Lauliver once and for all._

_Synopsis: Oliver and Jane host a Charity fundraiser aimed at helping Starling City but also to benefit Oliver's influence and future takeover of Queen Consolidated. The event, however doesn't go as planned. The fundraiser is attacked and a beloved character dies as a result. In order to find the killer, Diggle has to visit Floyd Lawton. After the fundraiser, Thea is driven further away from Roy and Oliver._

**Edited due to dissatisfactory results (rest of story will be edited, as well)**

* * *

**3x11: Trickle of Fear**

"Are you asleep?" Diggle asked softly, as he poked his head around the door post.

Lyla rested on top of the covers, with their four month daughter soundly asleep on her chest. The child gently snoozed, a sound Lyla had become utterly fascinated by during these past few moments of solitude.

The woman glanced towards the open door and yawned, "If I was, how am I supposed to answer that?"

"Not answering would be answer enough," Diggle countered without missing a beat.

Lyla smiled warmly as she ran a tired hand through her dark locks. Her gaze roamed across her ex-husband's sturdy frame where he leaned against the doorpost with a grin to soften his features. He wore a sleek, black suit and a paler tie that all fit him sharply. "You look handsome."

John raised an eyebrow in jest. "As opposed to...?"

"Always. Always handsome."

The man's grin widened as he stepped into the room and sank onto the bed beside his wife, careful not to disturb the sleeping child. He lowered his voice to a whisper as he said, "Are you sure you don't want to join me at the Charity gala? There's still time to find a babysitter."

"I want to stay home with Maya," Lyla shook her head. "You go out and have a good time, Johnny."

Diggle nodded and moved to stand, when Lyla grabbed for him. She clutched his hand in her smaller one and gently tugged him back down. As he sank back, he frowned in confusion.

"Johnny..." Lyla's voice was hesitant, as if balancing on the stray edge of a knife. "I got a proposition this afternoon."

"What kind of proposition?"

Lyla pressed her lips together in a tight line. She knew what she had to say could possibly blow up in her face, as so many other arguments had regarding this particular subject. Still, she had to be honest with the man she loved. She had vowed before to never keep secrets from him, and this was no exception. "Waller. She offored me a promotion to be her second-in-command... It would mean fewer missions abroad and I'd be stationed in Starling City... Closer to you and Maya."

Diggle's face was contrite and lacking emotion as he cautiously asked, "... You took it?"

Lyla shook her head as she held his gaze captive. "I wanted to discuss it with you first."

Diggle exhaled deeply and looked down at their joint hands. "You already know what I think, Lyla. We should have left A.R.G.U.S before our daughter was born."

"John..." Lyla sighed and searched for the right words. "It's more complicated than that."

"I know. _Grey areas_..." Diggle hummed gruffly. "I also know my opinion hasn't changed much by working directly under Amanda Waller. The only reason I still work there is to keep an eye on you and Oliver."

Lyla could see the hurt flash past in the man's bottomless depths. She knew the past few months had been hard on everyone in Oliver's proximity. After Felicity's kidnapping, he had pushed everyone away and walked a lonely path hard to turn from. "How is he?"

"Better," John sighed and shook his head in silent despair. "But he's still working too much and neglecting his private life. He's doing Waller's bidding and I _know_ there's something more to it. Something he won't share. Whatever it is, it keeps him occupied as _Arrow_."

"At least he's trying," Lyla offered meekly. "With Felicity back, things will surely turn back to normal in time. The charity fundraiser tonight, for example. That's _Oliver_, not Arrow."

Diggle hestiated briefly. "... I'll keep my eyes on him. That's enough talk of Oliver, though... What do you want to do about the promotion?"

"I don't know, John," Lyla admitted slowly as one of her hands gently caressed her daughter's back in a soothing motion. "I need more time to think about it."

John nodded his head sharply. "We can talk later tonight when I come home. We'll figure this out, together."

"Mm. Together."

"Now, I'm late... I have to say goodbye to my daughter," the man leaned down and pecked the soft baby head, "and my wife," he tenderly pecked Lyla on the lips and grinned.

Lyla smirked widely. "Still _ex_-wife."

"Maybe we ought to think about doing something about that, too," Diggle winked and before the brunette had a chance to retort, he was already out the door.

* * *

The charity fundraiser was held in the old, opera hall in the center of town. It was lavish and extravagant from roof to floor with chandeliers and tapestries to make even a royal family envious.

Felicity eyed the beautiful stone architecture in the giant ballroom. She'd been there once a few years back. She'd gone out with a guy who thought the opera was a good place for a first date. Felicity hated to admit it, but she'd actually snoozed through most of Parsifal. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate good music such as Wagner, but at the end of a twelve hour work day, she couldn't keep her eyes open long enough to care. Needless to say, there hadn't been a second date.

She straightened a crease in her floor-length yellow, chiffon gown. It was one-shouldered but still covered the scars on her back. It was the first time she dressed up since... Well, tonight wasn't the night to think back on those haunting memories.

Dick appeared beside her then and she was grateful for the interruption. The tall man wore a slim, grey suit and black-tie for the occassion. He handed her a glass of champagne and smiled.

"I'm glad I helped arrange a few of these fundraisers and gatherings for the rich and famous when I was Oliver's EA," Felicity blabbed as she accepted the glass. "First time I was at a fundraiser for Starling's elite, I felt a bit... judged. Poor, little me in a sea of wealth. They looked at me as if I was dressed in rags and wasn't worth a penny. I was so nervous, I broke two chrystal glasses... Which is why I'm surprised you seem so comfortable for your first time."

Dick shrugged. "It's not my first fundraiser. I'm actually kind of used to them."

Felicity frowned at the unexpected news. As far as she knew her boyfriend, he was a police officer with a simple past he preferred not to talk about. "Why are you used to the jet-setter lifestyle?"

The man smiled distantly as he explained himself, "I was best friends with the richest man in Gotham City many years ago; Bruce Wayne. That was before I moved to Blüdhaven."

"Why did you move?"

"I needed space to breathe and develop on my own after...," the man trailed off momentarily, but soon shrugged the hurtful sentiment off. "Well, we keep in touch. I still count Bruce among my closest friends."

Felicity decided to test the waters. After all these months, she realized how little she actually knew about him. "... You rarely speak of it. _Gotham_, I mean. Or your family. I hardly know anything about them either. Or your life there."

Dick inclined his head and something dark crept into his eyes. "Because it ended badly, Felicity. I have many good memories from Gotham, but also many terrible."

"Do you miss it?"

The tall man inhaled sharply. "Yes... And no. I haven't been back for _years_."

"Do you want to return?"

Dick tilted his head to the side and flashed her a crooked grin. "That would depend on Batman."

"Oliver mentioned him once, and I looked him up online," Felicity admitted. "... There wasn't much to find, surprisingly. He's more secretive than our Arrow. I never got the whole picture."

Dick shrugged. "And you won't tonight either. It's not fundraiser appropriate discussion, is it?"

"I'm just curious," Felicity said with a pointed look.

The man's smile widened, "One of the many reasons I lo- like you."

Felicity blinked and lowered her gaze from his in a heartbeat. She ran a hand through her cascade of blonde locks and pointed towards the crowds that was starting to enter the room. "... I should get back to work. Make sure the elite actually donate something tonight for a good cause and not just stand around looking pretty with the decor."

* * *

"Hey, man."

Oliver turned as he heard his friend approach and nodded his head. "Hey."

"How you feeling about all this?" Diggle asked as he stopped next to his best mate. The two lingered on the second floor where they had a good view of the ballroom below that was slowly filling with people dressed in floor-length gowns and suits that revealed their wealth.

Over on the side below them, a small orchestra was playing soft violin and cello music that mingled well with the sound of conversations starting up across the room.

A banner strung over the balcony on the other side across Oliver and Diggle's position read: 'Moira Queen Charity Foundation - A Night For Rebuilding The Glades With Queen Consolidated'.

"... It's surreal," Oliver admitted as his gaze lingered on the banner and his eyes danced with both shadow and light. "Being back in this world. I feel like I'm on the outside looking in."

"Maybe you ought to step over the threshold then."

"_Diggle_..." Oliver paused as words failed him. "I want to do the right thing, I do. But right now, I'm not entirely sure what that is. I don't..."

John placed a comforting hand on the man's shoulder and said, "You'll get there. This could be a first step."

Oliver managed a meek smile as he glanced sideways at his friend. "It does feel nice helping the city... as Oliver Queen, that is. God knows Starling needs to be rebuilt after everything it's been through these past two years."

"It's a strong city, Oliver," John said. "It will weather any storm and recover in time. With a little help from its hero, that is."

"... _Heroes_, Diggle. Plural."

Diggle snorted and eyed the man beside him. "That's funny... I don't feel like I'm in the field as much anymore. Wonder what that might be about. Happened around the time Maya was born... You thought I hadn't noticed, did you?"

Oliver shook his head, but his eyes offered no excuse as he revealed his true intentions, "Dig... I'm just trying to protect you. You have a family now and-"

"_And_ I'm still your team member, Oliver."

"I'd prefer it if you kept out of the field from now on," Oliver argued. "I've got Roy to help me out there."

Diggle wasn't about to back down and countered, "I've saved your life countless times in the field, Oliver. You _need_ me out there."

"I can't be responsible for a child losing her father, for a wife losing her husband... For friends losing their confidant and a brother-in-arms!" Oliver growled back and closed his eyes tight. "I have taken too much from these people already..."

John saw the struggle in his friend's posture that betrayed his heart and sighed. "... You've been holding on to that for a while, haven't you?"

"We'll talk more about it later." Oliver exhaled slowly and moved to step towards his crowd.

* * *

"Good evening," Felicity greeted the new arrival as he stepped into the grand hall, one of countless she would greet tonight for a good cause. "What's your name?"

The young man positively reeking with money, looked her up and down once before he replied, "Greg Dawson."

"Welcome," Felicity flashed him a polite grin and pointed down to the tablet in her hand. "I'm the Donation manager for the evening. How much would you like to donate tonight to rebuilding the Glades?"

Greg took a step closer to the blonde, invading her personal space with subtlety and grace. "Sweetheart... I'd like to donate myself to you tonight. If you know what I mean?"

The woman didn't look up from her tablet as her fingers flew across the small screen.

"Greg Dawson, was it? Would that be Greg Dawson with 32 unpaid speeding tickets or Greg Dawson who was arrested for sleeping with a prostitute but bailed himself out?" Felicity looked up at the man. His face fell at once as he gazed down at her. Felicity blinked. "Oh wait, silly me. They're the same Greg Dawson... So, how much did you say you wanted to donate to Moira Queen's Charity Foundation?"

* * *

"It seems like it'll be a nice turn out," Jane breathed as she stepped over to Oliver, who had just re-joined the rest of the crowd in the ballroom. The woman wore her short hair pulled back and a long, white mermaid dress. "A lot of people have come to support the cause and your mother's charity. They believe in you, still."

Oliver nodded his head. "The Glades still need every help it can get."

A voice from behind them made both of them turn around in surprise, "Which is why Queen Consolidated is all too happy to lend a helping hand."

Simon Cross stepped up between Jane and Oliver, offering them both a suave grin as he, too, watched the crowds around them.

"I must say I was surprised to see you here tonight, Oliver," the older man said as he rocked from toe to heel. "I thought we'd seen the last of you."

"Glad to disappoint," Oliver breathed indifferently and pocketed his hands as his eyes remained on the crowd around him. "I have no intention of surrendering my company, Simon. Queen Consolidated deserves better than you can offer."

Simon snorted. "We'll see about that."

* * *

Thea drew a shaky breath as she sat in the back seat of the limousine. She could feel her heart racing inside her chest and tried to breathe calmly, but nothing seemed to affect it.

Something warm wrapped around her hand and squeezed it tightly. Thea glanced to Walter beside her and his reassuring smile.

"Are you alright, Thea?" his familiar British accent helped ease her mind somewhat as he looked into her eyes.

The younger woman nodded, but her smile faded. For the first time since joining Malcolm's cause, Thea was doubting. The warmth and kindness of Walter's affection made her want to tell him everything about the secret plan. She hated being the one keeping secrets this time, and the thought of possibly hurting Walter, the one person in her life who was honest to her, when the truth was revealed... It was enough to ignite a spark of doubt. After losing everyone, Walter had for awhile been all the family she had, in a way. The step-father who'd done so much for her, and asked so little in return.

"I... I'm just," Thea tried to think of a white lie to cover up her hesitation. "It's been awhile since I was out there in public. I needed this time away from prying eyes, as you know... and I am ready to return, but... It's a bit daunting. And I don't even have Oliver to lean on for support."

Walter exhaled slowly and the low sound seemed to fill the dark backseat for another minute. Walter's hand squeezed tighter around her slender hands as the man whispered, "Thea... There's much I don't understand, but I do know your family. The two of you have lost everything, and you're both lost in this world without each other. I know you're scared and feel abandoned by him, but the truth is that Oliver loves you more than anything in the world."

The words, meant to incite reassurance, served the opposite purpose tonight as memories of her brother's lies filled her brain and laid waste to any doubt. Thea snorted, "... He has a funny way of showing it."

* * *

Simon Cross stepped onto the podium at the front of the giant hall and gently tapped a knife against his champagne glass. The clear sound reverberated through the hall. He leaned towards the microphone and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention for a moment."

The buzz of conversation slowly died down as people turned towards the podium to give the man their undivided attention.

Oliver glanced about before he leaned closer to Jane and whispered, "I thought you were supposed to hold the speech on Queen Consolidated's behalf."

A flash of anger spread across the woman's face as she watched the CEO ahead, "_I was_."

"For those of you who don't know me, my name is Simon Cross and I am the CEO of Queen Consolidated," Simon continued and his voice echoed across the room. "On behalf of myself and the Queen family, I would like to welcome you all to tonight's charity fundraiser for the Moira Queen Charity Foundation."

He paused a beat as the crowd applauded politely at his introduction.

"Tonight our focus is on The Glades, a part of this city that has suffered much through the past years," he continued and stood tall as he commandeered their attention, "I know the memories are still fresh on your mind, and that I need not remind you of that faithful night two years ago when Malcolm Merlyn and Moira Queen laid waste to half the Glades."

Oliver clenched his fist beside his thigh as he tried to keep his face impassive, despite the instinct he had to get up on the podium and punch the man. To mention Moira in such an unflattering light was a low blow, even for the current CEO of Queen Consolidated.

Simon's eyes sparkled with glee as they held Oliver's for the fraction of a second, before he once more faced his crowd, "We all lost someone that night. Someone we knew, someone we loved. We have all suffered these past few years, and our city is still not healed... And why does the city suffer, you may ask? I don't mean to provoke any of you here, but I do believe in speaking the truth of my heart and my beliefs," Simon Cross paused for added effect and the room was silent in anticipation. "Ladies and gentlemen, let us be honest. We all know the true cause to Starling City's suffering these past few years. The Undertaking that laid waste to half the Glades, the Mirakuru army that swept across our whole city... There is but one common denominator to explain why Starling is a target; _the Arrow._"

The room fell dead silent as Cross gazed out across the sea of people. Oliver glanced about and met John and Roy's gaze across the hall. This could turn out to be uglier than expected. After all these months wild a favorable wind as far as the public went, they were all aware how things had begun to change after Slade had been discovered to be alive and on the loose. Starling's hero was starting to be questioned once more.

Assured that the crowd was still paying attention, Simon continued, "It's true, the Arrow has also saved this city many times. But let's not forget that this was a peaceful city before he arrived. Everything bad that has happened since has been because of one man. Should we not demand that our hooded vigilante steps into the light and takes responsibility for his acts? Should he not, too, be held accountable for the dark plague that has infested our streets since his arrival? The wreckage he creates, we must repair. The city will be rebuilt by us, here in this room, not by a hooded stranger that is both hero and villain wrapped in one."

At the other end of the room, Felicity clutched Dick's sleeve as she quietly seethed. "He's turning the city against Oliver..." she muttered as a sudden round of applause filled the ballroom.

When the applause quieted down, Simon once more spoke up on the podium, "Let us tonight raise enough money to make a difference and repair our city with everything we are capable of giving. Whatever sum you have donated by the end of the night, Queen Consolidated will match. And I wish to be no worse, for I know how vital it is to rebuild our home - so I will personally match it myself."

The round of applause was practically deafening this time and Simon bowed his head in acceptance of their admiration.

Oliver gritted his teeth and growled to Jane, "I can't match that sum. We're losing."

Before she could reply, Simon called for their attention one final time and the room fell silent.

"I have already alluded to why it seems appropriate that Queen Consolidated in co-operation with Moira Queen's Charity Foundation, run by her son, contribute with so much. I do not blame the Queen family, and would, in fact, like to give the floor to someone who is better suited to speak to you on the family's behalf. It is with great honor I welcome back Thea Queen."

Loud, surprised muttering occupied the crowd as everyone looked about for the young woman in question. The press started taking photographs by one of the entrances and Oliver saw his sister across the sea of people then. She wore a black dressed with sequins on both shoulders and on her belt. Thea carried herself with head held high and with a confidence he had never seen in her previously. Oliver exhaled as he saw his baby sister smile at the crowds as they made a path for her to step towards the podium.

"Oliver," a familiar voice spoke beside him then.

Oliver turned and nodded his head in greeting to Walter. The elder man offered a warm smile in return and squeezed the younger man's shoulder.

"Thank you, Walter," Oliver breathed as his eyes fell back towards his sister, who had reached the podium and stepped before the microphone. Her gaze fell on him then and he easily saw past her impeccable facade. Though she smiled, there was a sudden bitter edge that she couldn't hide from him. Thea turned from him almost immediately to face the crowds.

"You all know my mother's involvement in the Undertaking," Thea began. "You also know she did everything she could afterwards to make amends as she ran for mayor of this city. She wanted to help heal this city that so much needed healing..." the young brunette paused and Oliver could see the theatrical way she carried herself as she pretended to struggle with her emotions. "...My mother is dead. But her mission isn't. I will resume the work she started and help this city rebuild to its former glory. A few months back, I purchased a small piece of Queen Consolidated, the company founded by my father. I vow to use my influence in QC to help Starling City-"

A sudden, loud bang echoed across the ballroom, followed by several more shots through the crowd. Numerous people fell to the floor, blood pooling around some of their bodies as everyone started to panic.

Oliver tried to keep his calm as chaos ensued around him as people tried to run for cover from the gun shots. He looked towards Felicity's position and saw Dick pull them both towards the ground as several more shots echoed through the hall.

On the other end of the room, Oliver saw Diggle and Roy run towards the stairs and the second floor. Oliver's gaze flew to the balcony above, where he saw a masked man holding a sniper rifle. The weapon was pointed somewhere close to Oliver then and the man fired a calculated shot. Walter tried to pull Jane away from the crowd when the shot hit him in the back and he fell to the ground as Jane shrieked. Oliver knelt by the man's side immediately as he saw the red pool grow beside his fallen frame.

Walter gasped for air and his pained features filled with panic as Oliver tried to hold on to him. The bullet had gone through and through and the red was starting to color his white shirt as he struggled. Oliver applied pressure to the wound and tried to keep the man still, but Walter writhed in panicked pain as he lost more and more blood with each passing second. Fear filled Oliver's system as he realized the inevitable truth. His eyes found Walter's and he could see the realization dance across the other man's eyes before his eyes grew hazy and his body stilled.

A terrified shriek echoed above the rest of the panicked shouts in the crowd and Thea managed to push her way through the sea of people. She fell to her knees beside her step-father and reached out to him with trembling hands. Tears ran down her face as she saw the emotionless, dead eyes of Walter Steele look back.

Oliver fell back to the floor in shock as he watched Thea cry over the man's body, her sobs the only sound that managed to get through to Oliver's mind.

* * *

Quentin rushed into the massive building not twenty minutes later. He waved his Detective's badge to a rookie officer in the door as he hurried into the main ballroom and looked about the crime scene.

Seven people had been shot at the charity fundraiser tonight, and all the witnesses that remained on the crime scene were shocked and in despair as they tried to hold on to each other and their sanity. Thankfully, though it was the wrong word to use, only one person had been killed.

Quentin steered his way towards the woman in a yellow dress over by the podium and noticed the grey blanket slung across her shoulders. Felicity's eyes were clouded with tears and pain as she gazed in the direction of the paramedics loading the dead body onto a gurney.

Dick stood by her side and was the first to notice the approaching man, "Detective."

"Grayson," Quentin nodded as he gazed down at the blonde. She looked up at him and sniffled. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine," she assured him in a low, raspy voice. "...I can't believe he's dead."

Quentin placed a hand on her shoulder as he softly asked, "Do you have any idea who might've wanted Walter Steele dead?"

The blonde shook her head determinedly. "Not a clue."

"Go home with Grayson. Get some rest, Felicity."

Felicity shook her head as her gaze travelled over his shoulder. "Oliver and Thea..."

"I'll talk to them," Quentin assured.

Dick wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's frame, and she slowly leaned her head against his shoulder. Quentin offered them both a reassuring smile before he turned and his eyes flew across the remaining crowd and police officers on the scene. On the steps over to the right, he saw the seated, hunched over, figure of Oliver Queen. Next to the man stood John Diggle, his former bodyguard, obviously hovering to give the man some space from reporters and police men.

Quentin drew a deep breath as he stalked over towards the men. He inclined his head to Diggle before he gazed down at Oliver.

"How are you holding up, Oliver?"

"I..." Oliver sighed and shook his head. "Do you need to take my statement?"

"It can wait. I would like to know where you were standing at the time of the shooting, though."

"I was standing with Jane Deleon and Walter. Over there," Oliver pointed straight towards the large pool of blood in the center of the room. "The shots came from the second floor, from the balcony. Diggle tried to run after him, but the man escaped."

Quentin glanced towards the second floor as he asked, "Do you know anyone that might have wanted to hurt Mr Steele?"

"... No."

"Thanks, Oliver. That's all I need for now. If I have any more questions..."

"You know where to find me."

* * *

"Thea! Wait up!" Roy cried as he jogged towards the young woman.

Thea sighed as she turned around on the pavement. She'd just been cleared from the police officers and wanted nothing more than to go home, run a bath for herself and cry in solitude.

"What do you want, Roy?"

"I..." the man hesitated as he stopped before his ex-girlfriend. "I don't think you should be alone tonight. I know how important Walter was to you."

"You know _nothing_, Roy," Thea countered venomously. After everything that had happened, everything she had found out about these people, something inside of her snapped at last. She swallowed as she swiped at her tears and said, "What did I ever do... to deserve this?"

Roy saw the pain in her eyes blend with fury and took a step towards her. His voice lowered an octave as he tried, "Walter's death wasn't your fault, Thea. You can't believe-"

"I wasn't talking about Walter," Thea's voice was impassive yet strong and the dead sound stopped Roy in mid-sentence. As the young woman turned to face him, he could see layers and layers of impassiveness strip away to reveal a furious woman not to be reckoned with. "I was talking about you, Roy Harper."

Roy ignored the twisting pain in his heart as he snorted, "Excuse me?"

"I found your bow that night, when Slade's army invaded Starling City," she accused him and her voice broke. "I know who you are, Roy! You lied to me. You're still lying to me. And since I prefer honesty, here's some truth for you; I _loathe_ you. Frankly, I never want to see you again. So _leave me alone_, Roy."

With those words, she spun on her heel and stepped into the waiting cab. Roy stood dumb-founded on the side of the road as he watched the cab drive off into the night, taking a piece of his heart with it.

* * *

Felicity had changed into a more comfortable dress and heels, but refused to go back to Dick's apartment just yet. Instead she found herself behind her monitors in the lair while she tried to keep her emotions at bay. The rest of the team was present and the air was filled with tension as no one dared to speak aloud.

At length, Felicity slowly turned in her seat to gaze up at Oliver's frame where he walked to and fro in the middle of the room. His suit was stained with dried blood that wasn't his and his eyes were far away as he didn't know what to do with himself.

"At least..." Felicity began but had to clear her throat to swallow past the painful bile. "At least we know Thea is the fifth.. now _fourth_ owner of Queen Consolidated. She was 'The Queen'. Befitting alter ego, in a way. That's good news, isn't it?"

Oliver glared down at her without replying before he continued his endless stride.

Roy leaned back against the medical bay and his eyes were heavy with sorrow as he said, "She knows. I don't know how much or what... but she knows about my alter ego, at least. She pushed me away. I lost her again."

Oliver turned his attention to the younger man, "She's lost but we'll help her find her way."

"_How_?" the man pleaded to know. "How are we supposed to help her when she doesn't want anything to do with us?"

"This isn't the War of the Roses," Felicity argued.

Roy frowned. "What?"

"Dynastic wars over the throne of England in the 15th Century," Felicity shrugged. "Not important. The point was that... Thea isn't on the other side, she's just alone. And hurt. We can't abandon her now, when she needs us the most."

Oliver stopped then and his shoulders slumped. He lowered his chin towards his chest as he closed his eyes tight. "... You're right."

John stepped towards his friend. "Go to your sister, Oliver. We can take care of this."

Oliver held his friend's gaze for a second longer, before he nodded. He accepted the suggestion for he knew he could rely on his team. Without hesitating his decision, Oliver turned and hurried out of the lair. Diggle met Felicity's gaze across a small divide and she offered him a timid, grateful smile as they watched their team leader carry his burden of guilt with him.

"So... who do we think did this to Steele? And why?" Dick questioned to soften the silent mourning. "It could be the person Constantin Drake mentioned before he died. Someone big and bad who's not yet revealed themselves? If it's true, this could be related to Doctor Death and have bigger repercussions than we're expecting here."

Felicity shrugged once more. "I don't know. It's possible... then again, right now anything feels possible."

Her monitor beeped then and she turned back to read the new information about the case. Her face fell at the news and she breathed, "_Diggle_."

John frowned as he stepped over and looked at the information as well. He shrugged his eyebrows and held her gaze. "I think we have to pay an old friend a visit."

* * *

"And you're sure about this?" Lyla asked as she marched next to John through the corridor at A.R.G.U.S.

John tilted his head to the side. "The bullet that killed Walter was laced with curare. Just like Deadshot's MO. My guess is that it's a copycat, and our best chance at catching this killer is to talk to the original."

Lyla inclined her head as they stepped towards the holding cells. The guard stepped aside at her order and unlocked the door.

"Hello, John," Floyd greeted with a crooked grin as he leisurely rose from his bed. His laser eye-patch sat askew as always and the yellow inmate outfit somewhat looser than last time they'd met. "Come to set me free from 'The Wall', have you?"

"I need your help."

"I bet it took a lot to admit to that," Floyd drawled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

John held out the manila folder and Floyd took it without asking. The man flipped through the photographs form the crime scene and the police report.

"It seems you have a copycat," John explained.

"The highest form of appraisal, I'm told," Deadshot breathed as he curiously inspected the photographs. "You need me to help catch this guy?"

"If he's trying to mimic you, we figured you might be able to understand him."

"I'll do better," Floyd breathed. "I think I can tell you where he is."

Lyla frowned. "Explain."

Floyd bowed his head in mock-respect before he spoke, "When I was still a free man, it happened on an occasion that I received a... shall we call it; _fan mail_? From someone called Gus Watson. I was intrigued by the notion that someone was mad enough to admire Deadshot, so I replied. I realized early on that his sickly fascination meant that he aspired to be more like me. Flattered, I suppose I encouraged it in a way. Only because I thought him too weak to take the plunge. I was wrong, it would seem."

"... And you know where he is?" Lyla demanded to know.

Floyd inclined his head as his grin widened. "I gave him some advice. If you ever find yourself in a city and are in need of hiding; Hide where no one expects to look. Abandoned storage units by the harbor where you can have a vantage point over your proximity are preferable to cheap motel rooms. During my first visit to Starling, I was amused by the irony in the abandoned warehouse I found in the harbor here: It was called '_Floyd's'_..."

* * *

After she'd soaked in her bath for nearly an hour and tried to empty her mind, Thea found that her solitude was too much to bear. Malcolm hadn't been at their suite, so in the end she decided to escape the hotel room for the reprieve of the cool, night air.

She pulled on a cape over her sweats and rode the elevator down to the reception. She smiled at the concierge and headed towards the exit with firm strides.

"_Thea_..."

The woman froze with her hand on the door handle as she recognized the voice. Thea slowly turned and saw Oliver stand behind her, dressed in a warm leather jacket and jeans to weather the cold of February.

"Don't... turn your back on me. _Please_," Oliver pleaded as he saw her stiff posture. He hesitantly took a step towards his kin, as he said, "I know you don't want to see me, but I can't stay away from you. I'm worried about you."

She held her head high as she stepped towards him and met him in the middle. "I can take care of myself, Ollie."

"... I know how important Walter was to you, Speedy," Oliver breathed sadly. "I only want to help you. All we've got is each other, Thea. Let's... talk. Let's find a way back to each other, and stand on the same side once more. I want nothing more than for us to be a family again. For us to reclaim Queen Consolidated together, I can't do it on my own and-"

"Is that a threat in disguise?" Thea asked in bafflement. "That we'll be siblings only if I agree to help you regain Queen Consolidated?"

Oliver firmly shook his head, "_No_, I-"

Thea didn't listen as she snorted and interrupted, "You know, mother tried to threaten me once, too, when she ran for mayor. It was her way of controlling me and the facade she needed to show the world... I'm not surprised you've inherited that side of her, too. Well, I am my mother's child also, and I, too, have learned how to threaten."

Oliver shuffled from one foot to the other as he gazed down at the young woman before him. Her eyes were hardened by stone and cold, eyes he no longer recognized. It pained him to see that all the hardship he had made her endure had changed her. The sweet, innocent sister he had returned home to after the Island years was now turning cold and heartless because of his lies and the truth.

Thea carried herself regally as she held his gaze with loath and dismay in her bottomless pools, "I'm not asking much, other than being left alone from you and your lies. If you still feel the need to interfere with my life that no longer concerns you... I'll have to share a secret with you that not even you know, Ollie. And I know it will damage your heart."

Oliver felt trepidation creep into the back of his skull as he said, "... So tell me."

"I spent a lot of time these past months delving into all the secrets mother kept from us," Thea began and a sneer slowly expanded on her face. "I found that she had transferred about a million dollars to a woman in Central City about eight years ago. Nine months later, it was followed by another million. I thought it so peculiar that I had to investigate, Oliver, and do you know what I found?"

Oliver closed his eyes tight, drawn between telling the truth and keeping it from her. "... You found my son. Connor."

The silence that followed clearly told him everything he needed to know. He'd made the wrong decision, then, in trying to tell the truth for once. Then again, maybe there was no right choice this time. He already knew he was fighting a losing battle, and all he could do was lay the cards on the table and hope it would bring Thea some peace in the end.

"_Another_ lie?!" Thea breathed in surprise. Dark amusement filled her voice as she continued, "You knew about your son all this time but never told me?! I shouldn't be surprised, should I? All you've ever done to me is lie: Lie about who I am, who you are..."

Oliver raised his hand but let it fall to his side once more. He inhaled deeply as he breathed, "I told you; everything I did was to protect you, Thea. Every choice I've made since returning has been with your best interest at heart... There are so many things I couldn't burden you with, Thea. My son being one of _many_ things I couldn't share. That I've never shared with anyone. But... Thea, _I need you_."

The young woman snorted in disbelief and Oliver could already see her widen the abyss between them. "It's too late. You shouldn't have lied to me in the first place. You brought this upon yourself, Ollie."

With a final, sad smile, she turned and walked away from him. Oliver closed his eyes tight as he heard the front door close behind her and the emptiness embraced him.

* * *

Gus Watson was busy cleaning his sniper rifle as he every now and again let his gaze fly across the silent harbor below his window. Finished, he put the impressive weapon down on the table and picked up one of the special bullets he had made for the occasion. It was a cheaper version, of course, but he was certain even the great Deadshot would approve of what he had accomplished.

"I hired you to kill a person..." an unexpected voice spoke from the shadows of his dark hideout. Gus rose from his chair and it toppled over as he turned to the man that slowly stepped out from the shadows.

Malcolm's face was still hidden half in shadow as he hovered a few feet away, illuminated only partially by the full moon outside. The man shrugged as he finished his sentence, "...and instead you kill Walter Steele."

Gus swallowed. "I... missed."

"_I didn't pay you to miss,_" Malcolm growled. "And I certainly didn't pay you to kill the one person who still matter to my daughter... You hurt her, _Copycat_... and no one hurts my child without punishment."

* * *

Lyla and John hurriedly crept between the quiet buildings in the dead of night, with their weapons drawn and ready to act should someone appear. The smell of water and sea gulls wrapped around them as they made their way towards the abandoned warehouse Lawton had mentioned.

"There it is," Diggle said and crouched to the ground as he saw the torn, wooden sign of 'Floyd's' on the building ahead. "Are you ready?"

Lyla inclined her head sharply as she raised her gun and took the lead. She kicked the door in to the abandoned warehouse and rushed inside, with her weapon raised and ready.

The place was covered in darkness and bathed in silence. It was all too silent, they both realized as they made their way towards the stairs. They ascended as quietly as possible and made their way to the lofty area ahead. A lamp lit up the only room before them and they barged in with guns aimed high.

Beside the open window stood a crater and a lone chair. On top of the crater lay a rifle, forgotten and empty, a single bullet beside it. Atop the lonesome seat, illuminated half by the light, half by the moon, sat Gus Watson. His arms were slumped by his side and his chin leaned against his chest. Blood dripped from his ears, still warm and freshly spilled, and Lyla stepped closer.

"There's a bullet lodged in his ear," she commented and leaned closer. "Laced with curare, no doubt. He's dead."

Diggle lowered his weapon with a frown. "So we won't learn why he killed Walter..."

* * *

Thea sat on a bench beside the pier, from which she had a good overview of the city skyline on the other side of the body of water. The night was quiet and peaceful, but she hardly took notice as her gaze was directed inwards.

Walter had been like a father to her during these past, difficult years. He'd been an anchor where all else had failed and now... She was tethered to no pier. Damned to be adrift for the rest of her life, perhaps.

"...Thea."

The young woman wiped at her fallen tears and looked sideways as Malcolm sat down beside her. He sighed as he saw his daughter's hurt expression and placed an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer.

"It's alright, honey..." he breathed soothingly. "I hate seeing you like this. I know he was important to you... and I'm sorry you had to lose him."

"_Why_? Why did he have to die?" Thea sobbed.

"I don't know, Thea," Malcolm spoke softly. "But whoever did this will pay the price he owes."

* * *

"Johnny!"

Diggle turned as he heard his ex-wife call out to him and stopped as she jogged towards him. The beautiful brunette stopped a few feet away and held his gaze steadily. She didn't say anything, but John didn't need to hear it to see what went unsaid.

He smiled tightly as he nodded. "You took the job?"

Lyla matched the smile with a sad one. "Only to be closer to you and our daughter."

"Lyla..." Diggle sighed as he stepped closer and lowered his voice. His gaze traveled across the corridors around him, to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "I know we have our differences where A.R.G.U.S is concerned... But I do understand why this time. We'll make this work, too. As a team."

"The best team," Lyla said and pecked his cheek tenderly. She winked and breathed, "See you at home?"

"Felicity's baby sitting the whole night, isn't she?" John smirked and chuckled as Lyla wiggled her eyebrows in jest. She turned and Diggle watched as she walked away.

As soon as she was out of sight, John exhaled and turned back on his path. He slowly walked through the familiar and seemingly endless corridor at A.R.G.U.S headquarter. He steered his way to the cell and nodded for the guard to unlock the door.

The younger guard hurriedly followed the unspoken order and stepped aside as John entered and closed the door behind him.

Floyd sat on his bed, reclining against the wall while the rest of his bed was covered with photographs from the shooting at the Opera. John let his gaze linger on the photos on the wall, depicting Lawton's daughter Zoe. At length, he turned his attention back to the imprisoned man and shrugged his eyebrows.

"You got something?"

Floyd slowly inclined his head and held out one of the photographs for John to take. Diggle took it and looked down at it. It was from the security camera, and depicted the moment when Walter and Jane tried to duck out of the way while Oliver stood close beside them.

"Your shooter was an amateur. Unused to a sniper rifle, no doubt. Judging by the trajectory of the bullet and the information you've given me... The bullet wasn't aimed at Walter Steele," Floyd explained in a low drawl.

John inhaled sharply as he nodded. "Oliver then?"

Lawton shook his head with a pointed look to his good eye. "The shooter was trying to kill the blonde one. Ms Deleon, it seems, was the intended target, but don't ask me why."

* * *

**To be continued!**


	12. Shame

_A/N: Due to dissatisfactory results, I've decided to rewrite certain parts of the story up to this point. Don't worry, it will not affect the bigger picture and we'll end up basically in the same place. As a fan fiction writer I have the good fortune of being able to rewrite and change my story for the better. The parts mainly concern neglected characters and story lines or bigger story lines I've found new ways of handling (I think we all know which one I'm referring to). I still intend to have the story written my way, but I've found a golden mean that will better appease to both audience and writer alike, I believe._

_Synopsis: Following Walter's sudden death, Team Arrow work to understand why Jane Deleon was targeted by an assassin, but the truth comes as a surprise to everyone. Meanwhile, Roy finds himself an ally in the hope of understanding Thea's strange behavior._

* * *

**3x12: Shame **

Walter Steele's funeral took place on a quiet Monday, with cold rain hanging in the air. Many knew the man and came to pay their respect to the fallen friend who had died much too soon. Most whispered among themselves of the unfortunate events that had stolen Walter from the face of the Earth before his time was up, of how unfairly the hand of death had treated the kind-hearted man.

Oliver sat in the white plastic chair, facing the casket, as the minister spoke the final words before the casket would be buried beneath the ground. He listened with half an ear to the words being spoken about the important, honest and respected man that lay dead before them all.

Oliver felt numb inside his chest, his heart beaten and broken like so many times in the past. It struck him then that though he had lost many people in the past, this was the first funeral he had ever attended. There had been no funerals to attend on Lian Yu or in Hong kong, nor had he been there for Tommy's funeral or even his mother's. The pain had been just as unbearable for all those events, but something had changed since and he had felt strong enough to attend at last. Not least to pay his respect to a man who should still be alive, and to pay homage to the dead that rested in the ground beside him. To all those who had died in vain when Oliver ought to have kept them safe.

Oliver glanced at the young brunette beside him. Thea's face was sad yet cold, hardened yet worn, as she stiffly stared at the white casket before her. She, too, seemed lost in her own thoughts, paying little heed to the procession around her. She wore an indestructible armor around her heart that Oliver recognized only all too well. He had no notion of how to break through her defenses and keep her safe and sound at the same time. All he was certain of was that she was more distant to him than ever before, like a small speck on the horizon he couldn't reach. She had made it quite clear, after all. She didn't want him in her life anymore, they were siblings by blood bonds alone, and he couldn't blame her decision. He had done her much wrong in the past, while intending to keep her from harm. He had been his own worst enemy and was still paying the prize for his choices. Regardless, he saw no way out of his guilt-ridden maze.

Oliver sighed and lowered his gaze. He had lost both Walter and Thea this week, and now there were none left of his family by his side. He stood alone in the wilderness, with the howling wind threatening to tear him limb from limb.

* * *

At the reception in Walter's penthouse, people were amicably socializing and sharing fond memories of their lost friend. The mood was relatively calm, though sadness burdened the crowds like a heavy cloak upon their shoulders.

Felicity sniffled and dabbed a handkerchief at the stray tears that rolled down her cheeks. Her gaze lingered on Thea in a secluded corner of the room. The young woman looked lost and uncomfortable, as if she desired nothing more than to be elsewhere. Still, she held her head high and shed no tears as she stood anchored by the windows, gazing steadfastly out at the world.

Felicity glanced over her shoulder. At the other end of the room, Oliver was seated in a low sofa with several other guests talking around him. The Queen heir himself had not spoken a word during the entire day. Felicity worried for him, but had to admit (though shameful it might seem) she was relieved he hadn't run away this time. That he had not hid from the world, but rather accepted the loss and dealt with it in his own morose manner.

Oliver's distant gaze now was heartbreaking and Felicity wished she could relieve his pain even a fraction.

* * *

Jane cautiously approached her old friend and hesitated on the precipice. "I'm sorry for your loss, Thea... I wish we met again under different circumstances."

The brunette pulled her eyes from the world outside and looked the other woman up and down for a second before she said, "... _Jane_? Ah, I forgot. You and Oliver own half of QC, and you just purchased the small share Walter owned. Of course you're here."

"...I'm here because Walter was important to me, too," Jane disagreed sadly as she took another step closer and glanced around the room for possible eavesdroppers. "He was like a mentor to me. And a friend."

"Well, he was like a father to me," Thea smiled grimly, frost touching the edge of her bitter voice. "The only one I could trust..."

"... You can trust me. And Ollie," Jane tried to offer her old friend a slight smile. "I know we haven't spoken for a while-"

"A while?!" Thea snorted in jest. "I haven't seen you for _years_. You've lived in England and I don't know _anything_ about the woman you've become. No more than you know the woman I am today. We're not friends, if that's what you think."

"Thea...I..." Jane hesitated. The words had stung like poison and she was thrown by the cold manner she was received. Perhaps she had been naive in thinking they could go back to the way things had once been. "You're hurting... and I'm... intruding. I'm sorry. I only came over to offer my condolences and to say that... I've missed you, Thea, and want to get to know you again."

"I don't need your friendship."

Jane winced as she watched their once strong friendship spiral into the bottomless depths of hell. "... You don't sound like the Thea Queen I knew."

"Precisely my point," Thea whispered in a low voice that held both hurt and irritation. "The only thing we share is our interest in Queen Consolidated."

Irritation sipped into Jane's voice also as she defended herself, "I didn't come to talk business, I-"

"But I did," Thea interrupted bluntly, her dark eyes swimming with darker passions. "I want to buy my company back."

Jane shook her head in confusion. "Has Oliver talk to you about...?"

"You're missing the point, Jane," the brunette hissed. "I'm not purchasing it with my brother. I want to own Queen Consolidated _alone_. As Moira Queen's daughter, it's my right."

"It's Oliver's right, too..."

"Am I speaking in riddles?" Thea asked and took a step closer, invading her former friend's personal space. "I'll be blunter, then, so that maybe you'll understand what I'm trying to ask of you. I want to purchase your share of Queen Consolidated."

Jane saw the unspoken anger in the woman's dark eyes and shook her head slowly. "... I'm not selling."

"Why not?" Thea questioned with a cold smirk. "You want the company back with me and Oliver... Why not sell to me? Why not save yourselves months of waiting for my brother to find the money and sell it to me now? It would serve the same purpose."

"... I've clearly missed something between you and Ollie," Jane frowned in hesitation and closed herself off to her former friend. "I'll stick to the original plan."

Thea chuckled as she took a step closer yet and boldly said, "Take the easy way out... Or I'll share your secret with the world."

Jane raised her chin and shrugged her eyebrows, showing no sign of discomfort of having the brunette up in her face in such a manner. "What secret? I have none."

"Your father does," Thea snarled. The next second, an innocent smile played across her fair features. "Oh, I'm sorry: _did_... Perhaps the world should know your real interest in Queen Consolidated."

"You're threatening me..." Jane breathed in amazement and knew they'd crossed the line in the sand. With bitterness, she remarked, "Your father's daughter, indeed..."

Thea blinked at the implication and a smile slowly spread across her thin lips, "You ought to know."

Jane's expression fell as she held the other woman's gaze in silence for a few seconds. At length, Jane remarked, "...I don't respond well to being threatened."

"And I don't respond well to a 'No'."

"I'm not the enemy, Thea," Jane spoke sternly. "You've just lost someone important to you and you're clearly not yourself today. I'll look the other way this once... But do _not_ threaten me a second time, Thea... I came to make peace, not start a war."

"_Too late_," Thea sighed and brushed past the blonde without missing a beat.

Roy saw the opportunity and stepped out from between a couple of dark-clad guests to intercept his ex-girlfriend's path.

"Thea, can we talk-" Roy began but cut off as Thea stormed past him, too, without even looking at him. He felt the cold sting of her impassiveness slam against him like cold water, and he sighed deeply as he watched her disappear out the door.

"You're Roy Harper, aren't you? Thea's ex-boyfriend?"

Roy swirled around as Jane Deleon stepped up to him. The blonde's gaze was hard and wounded, and also lingered on the escape path Thea had taken.

"Yeah..." he breathed at length.

The blonde extended her hand and shook Roy's politely. "I'm Jane. Jane Deleon."

"I know," Roy shrugged.

"Right..." Jane breathed. "Then you probably know I was her childhood friend once. _Best_ friend. We were inseparable. But not anymore it would seem. She treats me like the enemy, and I can't figure out why."

"Yeah..." Roy nodded as he exhaled slowly. "Me too."

"We share a common interest then," said Jane. "I'm worried about her, Mr Harper... She's just not acting like herself... I could use an ally. I know we're strangers to each other... but we could help each other in this. Help Thea with whatever is ailing her."

Roy pondered the suggestion. "... What do you have in mind?"

* * *

Felicity frowned as she pondered what she'd just overheard. Not a week ago, Team Arrow had learned Jane Deleon had been the intended target instead of Walter, but they had yet to figure out why someone wanted the blonde woman dead.

Felicity hadn't meant to be disrespectful and eavesdrop, but she'd been standing close enough to hear the whispered, heated conversation between Thea and Jane, and what she had heard baffled her. Thea's attitude had changed entirely, and there was certainly much brewing beneath the surface that the lost girl needed to handle before loosing it entirely.

It was Thea's chosen words, however, which stuck with Felicity now. Thea had edged around a deep fountain of information regarding Jane's parentage, and Felicity couldn't help but be intrigued. She hated mysteries, but felt perhaps she'd been given a much needed clue to solve this particular puzzle.

"You okay?"

Felicity jumped at the sound of Diggle's voice beside her. The tall man gazed down at her with concern and friendship shining plainly in his dark pools.

"Thea just threatened Jane. She wants to purchase Queen Consolidated but doesn't seem interested in including Oliver," Felicity blurted swiftly and low enough not to be overheard. "And... I... I think I know where to look for clues on Jane's secret. Maybe we can figure out why she was the target of an assassination."

John blinked as he glanced about at the other guests. "... Who knew funerals were this Shakespearean?"

Felicity lowered her gaze as guilt gripped at her heart. "Walter shouldn't have died. And his funeral shouldn't be a battlefield..."

"We'll figure this out. At least we know who killed him," John tried to alleviate the tension.

"Yes, but someone killed the killer. And we don't know why! Or by whom!" Felicity whispered. "We're only left with more questions while Oliver's world once more crumbles around him..."

John's eyes filled with sadness as he slowly said, "At least he's here for this..."

Felicity inclined her head slowly before her eyes once more traveled the familiar path to Oliver' somber frame. He had moved from the sofa at last and was standing beside the mantlepiece, gazing at a photo depicting Moira and Walter side by side. "Yeah, I know. But he's not really, is he? He's so... distant."

Diggle glanced back over his shoulder and nodded. "He has ghosts to fight that we don't understand or know yet, Felicity... And you look just about as exhausted and wiped out as he does. You're spending too much time on this case, trying to help Oliver... Are you getting any sleep?"

"I... sleep."

John snorted and shook his head slowly. "Dick's looking for you. He wants to take you home, because he knows you need some rest. You can figure out Deleon's secret tomorrow."

"But Oliver-"

"Is not alone," Diggle reassured firmly as he held her gaze. "Nor will he be tonight."

Felicity smiled sadly. "Thank you, John..."

* * *

"That's good, Thea!" Malcolm breathed as his daughter attacked him once more with the sword. The clang of metal on metal echoed in the large training area. "Use the anger to fuel your weapon, it will strengthen your assault."

Thea growled as she swung the weapon and once more let it swoop down against her training partner. Her father parried the thrusts one after another as they practically danced across the training area with fluent, swift steps.

"You've remembered all the moves I taught you. I think you're ready for the next step with the blade, if-"

"Could we not talk?" Thea interrupted bluntly and staggered away from the man. She breathed heavily as she wiped sweat from her forehead and gazed up at him. "I've had enough of words for awhile."

Malcolm hesitated as he saw the cold edge enter her eyes. "... Of course."

"Good."

Slowly, Malcolm raised his weapon and nodded his head. "Attack."

* * *

Felicity snuggled down beneath the covers in Dick's wide bed and wiped at the last of her sorrowful tears as Dick entered the room. She offered him a smile as he walked closer, carrying a steaming mug in one hand. She accepted it with grateful hands and sipped from the warm liquid.

"Mm, hot cocoa..." she smiled as he walked around the bed and lay down on the covers beside her. "No one's ever served me hot cocoa in bed before. I could get used to this treatment when I'm blue."

Dick was silent for a few seconds as she enjoyed the hot beverage. After a few seconds, he hesitantly suggested, "So... stay. Or you know, don't move out. You're here most nights anyway and with your place burned down… there's no need to look for a new place. You could just stay here."

Felicity's gaze flew up to meet his and she nearly spilled her drink. "What?"

"Move. In," he articulated slowly as a grin spread across his strong jawline.

"D-do you think... we're ready for it?" the blonde questioned. "We've only been going out for four months."

"Why not? We've been through some major stuff these past few months, and yeah... Maybe I wouldn't be asking so soon if Slade hadn't kidnapped you. But he did, and I'm trying to make the best of the situation," Dick shrugged. "If it helps, we could call it a trial co-habitancy for now. What do you say, Smoak?"

Felicity tilted her head to the side and couldn't help the amused breath that escaped past her lips. "Aren't you romantic."

"I'm serious, Felicity. I know I'm... I know we still have a long way to go," Dick admitted in a low, earnest voice. "That we both have our own issues to deal with, but I want you to know... For the first time in a _long_ while, I feel ready to try. I can't promise forever, not even tomorrow - but I can promise I want to try."

Felicity stayed silent for a long time as the suggestion whirled through her mind like a tornado. " ...Do I have a say in decorations?"

"Yes."

"Even if the color choice is pink?"

Dick grimaced. "It can be debated."

"You'll do the laundry?"

"I already do."

"No, I do it."

"Not really."

Felicity exhaled heavily. "I... I can't give you an answer tonight, Dick. I'm too tired after the funeral..."

"It's okay," Dick smiled and his dark eyes shone with warmth. "We can discuss it tomorrow. There's no rush, after all."

Felicity held his gaze and smiled briefly before she turned back to her hot cocoa and let the remnants of the discussion fade into the night.

* * *

The thief fell to the ground, a green arrow protruding from her left shoulder. The woman cried out in pain as she dropped the bag of expensive clocks and it clattered against the asphalt. Her partner stopped her sprint and hesitated as she glanced back over her shoulder. Her gaze roamed over the facade of the buildings around her and her breathing quickened as she rushed back to the fallen comrade.

"Come on," she breathed as she tried to pull her friend from the ground. "I'm not leaving you behind."

There was a thud in the alley behind her and she turned back around in a startled flash.

Arrow slowly rose from the ground, his hood covering his features and his bow resting firmly in his strong grip. The thieves before him looked terrified. The one not injured pulled out a butterfly knife and slowly rose to defend herself.

In less than a heartbeat, the vigilante had withdrawn an arrow from his quiver and aimed his bow at the woman.

"Are you sure you want to try that?" he questioned, his dark tone contorted by the voice filter.

The woman shivered with fear as the knife fell from her grasp and she raised both hands to the air.

* * *

Oliver gazed down at the two thieves below on the street. He'd cuffed them to a fence and called it in to the police a few minutes ago. He heard the police sirens blare in the distance and turned from the scene to behold the city from his vantage point on the roof. He inhaled the cool air and let it fill his lungs as he reveled into the successful case, pushing all thoughts of his real life to the back of his skull.

"You know, Oliver," Diggle's voice was clear and strong over the comms. "I'm not sure catching small-time thugs is the best idea after a funeral."

"It relaxes me," Oliver gruffed simply. "Any more cases tonight?"

There was a pause and Oliver knew his friend well enough to recognize the worried thoughts that must be swirling through Diggle's head. After a few seconds, however, John said, "There's an attempted robbery on North Street."

"On it," Oliver said and immediately jumped into action.

* * *

The following afternoon, Oliver jogged down the stairs to the lair as usual. He nodded his head to Diggle, who was working out on the training area, before he turned his gaze to the blonde behind her monitors.

"Hey," he greeted as he stepped closer to her. "You're here early."

"Jane let me go an hour earlier because-" Felicity started to explain as she turned in her seat. As she saw Oliver's face, her expression fell and she breathed, "You're hurt!" she rose from her chair to meet him halfway, her stilettos echoing against the cold floor. Her hand lingered an inch away from the nasty bruise on his cheek. "... You went out last night then?"

"_I'm fine_," Oliver smiled tensely as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"... I know," Felicity grimly replied as she glared up at him. He could see the quiet reprimand mingle with understanding of his decision and his own gaze warmed.

"If it's any consolation, Felicity," John spoke up from the training area and the couple turned in his direction, "the Arrow did stop three robberies last night."

"Well... There's that," the blonde exhaled as she turned and stepped back over to the monitors without another word on the subject.

Oliver followed her close behind and peered down at the information on the screen. "Found anything?"

"Actually, I have," the woman inclined her head. "Where do you want me to start? There's bad news and more bad news."

"You choose," Oliver breathed.

"Thea, then," Felicity inclined her head "We know she's 'The Queen', the mysterious alter ego who purchased QC stock... What I still don't know is where she got the money for the transaction. That's the bad news. I can't trace the money... and I really don't like to admit to that."

"You did your best, Felicity."

"Yes, I did," she nodded grimly and looked up at him. "Which makes it _worse_, Oliver. And... At Walter's funeral yesterday, she tried to threaten Jane into selling her share, but Jane refused... Which leads me to the other bad news."

"Shoot."

Felicity inhaled sharply before she hurriedly explained, "Thea mentioned Jane's father being suspicious, so I thought I'd look into the man more closely to see if there was more there than meets the eye, and get this... I thought the name was familiar before and I finally realized why. John Deleon was on The List. Your father's list, I mean... which I really think we should get back to considering there were more bad guys on that..."

John slowly stepped towards them, "You're saying Jane's father was part of Merlyn's Undertaking?"

"Yes, that's _precisely_ what I'm saying," Felicity agreed. "It's all very hush hush, but I didn't let the lack of evidence stop me. After a little digging, I found this... John Deleon's company in England helped Merlyn ship the Earthquake machine across the Atlantic from Asia. Deleon was the middle-hand that made it all possible. Now, I don't know about you; but that's a pretty hefty lie to cover up."

Oliver gritted his teeth as he let the news sink in.

John eyed his friend's stiff demeanor. "Any chance Jane is walking in her father's footprints?"

"Maybe," Oliver gruffly replied. "I don't know. I've been unsure about her intentions for a while, but I wasn't sure what we'd find. She seems genuinely interested in being my friend... but not I'm thinking it was a lie."

"Well, regardless... There is a bigger lie here, Oliver," Felicity pointed to her screens. "And I'm guessing someone wanted to kill Jane because of it. We don't know if it's connected to what happened at the Opera, but it's certainly a possibility we have to consider."

Oliver slowly nodded his head as his eyes swirled with thoughts he kept to himself.

"What do you want to do, Oliver?" Diggle asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and waited to follow orders.

Oliver glanced towards the glass case further away. "I think the Arrow should make a special house call."

* * *

Oliver easily hauled himself up the wall and onto the fire escape in his green outfit. He scaled the steps two at a time without feeling any fatigue. He knew his mind was eager to find out the truth behind Jane's intentions, and fueled his muscles to propel upwards.

He noticed Jane's flat was bathed in darkness as he neared the window, perhaps she wasn't at home then and he could look for clues without interruption. Oliver managed to pry the glass window open and quietly stepped inside the apartment lit up only by the faint lights of the evening outside.

Her apartment was sparse with decoration, clearly used more for sleeping than living in. So far, Oliver had to admit, it seemed to matched her intent to remain in Starling once for as long as she was needed before Oliver could take over Queen Consolidated.

He stepped further into the lion's den, his feet barely caressing the wooden floor as he soundlessly continued his investigation. A frame on the mantlepiece in the living room caught his attention and he looked down at it. It was an old photo of a carefree past. It depicted a teenaged Jane with her arm slung across twelve year old Thea's small shoulders. Both girls had wide grins across their faces and Queen Manor was visible in the background. Oliver remembered that day. He'd been the photographer.

A clicking noise interrupted the quiet evening, lingering in the shadows around him. Slowly, Arrow turned around and came face to face with Jane. In the blonde's hands rested a gun and she had it trained on him now as she stood on the other side of the living room. Her breathing was somewhat erratic and her pupils dilated as she beheld the vigilante in her flat.

"What do you want?" Jane breathed at length.

Oliver quickly started the voice filter before he replied, "I didn't know you had a gun."

"Clearly you didn't know my father," Jane whispered in response. "The correct question is if I can use it or not."

Oliver exhaled and squared his shoulders as he glared across the void at the young woman.

Met with silence, Jane took a hesitant step forwards and continued, "A better question would be: Why are you in my home? I thought the Arrow was a hero, not a Peeping Tom."

"Jane Deleon," Oliver snarled, "I want answers from you."

"Funny, I was going to say the same."

"Your father partook in Malcolm Merlyn's Undertaking two years ago."

Jane blinked but her gun never wavered. "... It's more complicated than that."

"Explain."

"Why should I explain myself to a man in a green hoodie?" Jane questioned. "At least take it off and talk to me like a man."

"You know I can't. Tell me the truth."

Jane swallowed. "_You first_."

Oliver frowned in mute response.

"... You want me to be honest with you?" Jane exhaled slowly and Oliver could see her walls slowly crumble. "It's fine. I don't want to lie anymore, anyway. I'm too tired for lies... Problem is: I don't know where to start. Most of the lies aren't even my own, but ones I've inherited. It's true. John Deleon did partake in the Undertaking, but not by free volition... Malcolm Merlyn blackmailed him. It's complicated. My father didn't want to take part in the Undertaking, and it's one of two reasons why we fled the city all those years ago to live in England. But when it came time to act two years ago, Merlyn traced him down. Threatened me and my mother, gave my father no other option but to follow orders... My father had to provide the ships and a plausible cover. After the Undertaking transpired... My father tried to live with the shame of what he'd done. The innocent lives on his conscience. In the end... He didn't die of any disease, he killed himself."

Oliver stood impassive and silent as the truth kept them both locked in the tense moment.

Tears threatened to spill from the woman's eyes as she lowered the gun at last. She drew a trembling breath before she continued, "There's more. Before he died, he told me the whole truth. Not just about the Undertaking, but also... The second reason why we left Starling City. The _real_ reason. And that's where you come in... _Oliver_."

Oliver almost did a double-take at her words, but tried to keep his face impassive at the implication.

"I know the truth..." she whispered. "I just had to follow the clues. _Please_..."

Oliver hesitated a beat before he pulled back his hood and removed the mask. Jane inhaled sharply as the man revealed himself but still stood her ground.

"Tell me the rest of the story," he commanded in a softer tone.

"We were happy here, in Starling," Jane continued. "Or so I thought. But my parents struggled in their marriage, and apparently... My mother... There was an indiscretion. With my father's friend. It took several years before John Deleon found out about the truth, and he couldn't stay here in Starling. We moved back to England in a rush to get away from the deceptions and lies. I never knew the truth... not until the guilt caught up to my father and he told me everything. Well... He told me about my true parentage. You see, the truth us... My mother... slept with your father. And nine months later, I was born."

Oliver staggered back a step as if the truth had punched him in the guts. His mind swirled with the implication and he shook his head as he tried to search her eyes for the truth, "You're saying...?"

A lone tear spilled from Jane's eyes. "It's the reason I decided to do all of this, Ollie. Why I came here to Starling City and why I want to help you regain Queen Consolidated. I wanted to get to know you again... I wanted to get to know my brother. But I didn't want you to think I came here because of money or for the family fortune. And I didn't know how to tell the truth. Which is why I stuck with the lie our parents lived... I wanted to get to know _you_, Oliver. As a friend, without strings attached or morals corrupted. I didn't want any strains on our relationships because you felt betrayed by me or your father."

"You... You're my _sister_?" Oliver breathed as the realization finally hit him full force.

"I am... And I wanted to tell you when the time was right, but..." Jane exhaled and closed her eyes tight. "... there's no 'right time' in this city, is there? Please, believe me, this isn't how I wanted you to find out about all this. Do you trust me?"

* * *

"Your sister?" Felicity questioned as she rose from her seat to face her friend before her. "_Sister_? Actually... that does explain quite a lot."

Diggle nodded in agreement as he leaned back against Felicity's workstation. "It makes sense. It explains why Jane wanted to help you, why she asked nothing in return for helping you. Maybe she wants to make peace with the past, too."

Oliver gritted his teeth as he distantly nodded. "I... I don't know what to think."

"I could... We could run a blood test, verify what she's saying," Felicity suggested as she watched the man in green stand stiff and awkward before her in the heart of the lair.

"I saw it in her eyes, Felicity," Oliver breathed and his shoulders slumped. "She was telling the truth... I have a half-sister I never knew about. My father...! I knew my father sometimes... I just never thought he'd..."

Oliver sighed in irritation as words failed him. It seemed no matter how he tried to grasp at this, he ended up grasping nothing but air. He felt betrayed. His father... and his half-sister... The secrets kept on piling around him and it seemed it didn't matter what he did to dismantle them, all his efforts merely revealed more secrets to the world. He clenched his fist by his side and tried to weather the anger that threatened to rise in his chest.

Felicity glanced between the two men as she raised her voice, "There's another problem. None of this gives indubitable proof to why someone wanted Jane dead. It could be related, of course... but we're still fumbling in the dark with that one."

"We'll figure all this out," John assured and stepped around the monitors to stand before his friend. He placed a hand on the other man's shoulders and squeezed in reassurance. "Take the night off, Oliver. Sleep on it. You need it." Diggle glanced at the blonde behind him and pointedly breathed, "We all do."

"Thanks, Diggle," Oliver exhaled slowly as he nodded.

"Anytime," the older man smiled. "Now... I'm going home to my wife and child. Do you want me to give you a ride to Dick's place, Felicity?"

The blonde raised her chin and her sapphire eyes danced with something unreadable. She offered him a strained smile as she declined, "I... No. I think I'll walk."

Diggle glanced down at her heels but ultimately nodded. "... Fine. See you both tomorrow night."

* * *

Malcolm lingered in the open doorway as he watched his daughter stand beside the panorama windows. Her profile was illuminated by the moon outside and seemed somber and desolate. She looked like a lone island, lost in a vast ocean where no one could find her. Her dark eyes still danced with pain and anger after having lost Walter.

Though Malcolm hated to admit the dead man's relevance, he couldn't deny the pain he saw reflected in his daughter's gaze. He had seen her withdraw from him daily since it had happened, and he'd begun to fear he was losing her. So close to the goal now, he knew he could many storms but not this once. He could not lose his only living child because of this.

He inhaled sharply and cleared his throat as he entered the spacious living room.

"Thea, darling..." he breathed and saw her shoulders stiff immediately beneath the black cardigan. "Will you talk to me?"

"What's there left to say?" Thea muttered and kept her gaze turned away. "I've said it all."

"You miss him," Malcolm gently prodded as he stepped up next to the woman.

"... I've lost two fathers," she breathed impassively. "And my mother... And Ollie."

"You still have me," Malcolm reassured fiercely, hoping his voice would be enough to pull her back. "And I'll never leave you."

"I know your men killed Walter's murderer... I know you did that for me," Thea said slowly. "But I still want to know why he had to die..."

Malcolm glanced down at the young woman's profile and pondered his options. At length, he wet his lips and breathed, "My men did find something out... and I've been trying to find a way to tell you this. But Walter, it seems, wasn't the intended target that day..."

Thea's jaw dropped as she swirled around to face the man. A tempest whirled in her eyes as she read between the lines, "Then who? He was standing with Jane and Oliver. Are you telling me one of them were the actual target? That Walter died because someone couldn't shoot straight?!"

Malcolm inclined his head. "Yes, Thea... It should have ended differently."

"How should it have ended? What did the killer confess to?"

"He was hired to kill Jane Deleon, or so it would seem," Malcolm confessed. "Your step-father just got caught in the crossfire."

Thea turned away from the man, quietly seething to herself as her mind blackened with the prospect. Malcolm covered his smirk behind a look of fatherly concern as he placed a hand on her shoulder briefly. He lingered for another second before he turned and left her to her own thoughts once more.

* * *

Later that night, when the moon was at its peak on the black heavens above, Felicity found herself sitting on the curb on a familiar street. Her gaze was directed upwards as she sat in solitude in the quiet night. On the other side of the road, several floors up, she saw the burned hole she'd once called her home. What remained of her apartment was still destroyed and unrecognizable, merely ashes of what it once had been. Renovations had begun and a pale cover covered the largest hole where her living room had once been. It would be a long time before the place was even habitable once more, and even then it wouldn't be the same. It wouldn't be her home anymore.

Felicity turned sideways as a shape appeared in her peripheral view. Her eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know where I was?"

Oliver sank onto the curb next to her with a deep sigh. "...Intuition?"

Felicity snorted but refrained from commenting as her gaze travelled back up to the building ahead.

Oliver eyed her profile warily. "... The real question is: Why are _you_ here?"

"Oh, you know, crazy mad man torched my place," she shrugged her shoulders with a brave grin. "The usual."

"... The truth, please."

"I... It's the first time I'm here. since Slade burned it down," she admitted as the smile faded away. "I didn't know it was this ruined. That my life was this ruined. I know it's just things, but... I don't know. It was _my home_. Seeing it like this, I..." her voice trailed off into the night.

Oliver nodded. "I can relate."

"Of course. Queen Manor still stands, but it's not yours anymore. You lost your home, too. And your family..."

Oliver slowly inclined his head as he held her gaze across the small divide that separated their faces.

Felicity hesitated for a second. "... Are you okay?"

Oliver inhaled as his eyes danced with emotion. "... No. Walter's death, Thea shunning me... and now I have a sister I never knew about. I'm not okay, Felicity. I don't know what I am..."

Felicity shrugged her pale coat closer to her shoulders in the cold of night before she faced him again, "You don't deserve it. None of it. No more than I deserved a charcoaled hole for a home. This isn't justice, but... 'We fight the injustices we can, and accept the ones we cannot.' It's something my grandpa told me."

Oliver's gaze trailed over her features as he softly hummed, "Hmm..."

"You will figure all of this out, Oliver, but no one's demanding you have all the answers right now," Felicity assured him, her voice burning like a wicker in the deep of night.

"I know," Oliver sighed. "... As will you. Figure things out, I mean."

Felicity ducked her head and remained quiet for a few seconds before she said, "... He asked me to move in with him. And, I feel ashamed to admit it - because he's been so good to me -... but I'm hesitating."

Oliver inhaled sharply. "Do you love him?"

"Parts, for sure," Felicity shrugged.

"Do you love _him_?"

Felicity hesitated a beat. "... I think so."

Oliver sighed as he stared into the night. "If I've learned anything from my failed romances, Felicity, it's that if you have to think about it... It's probably because you want the emotions to exist rather than them being actually present."

"... Is that why you and Laurel didn't work out?"

Oliver inclined his head. "We both deluded ourselves for a while. Truth is... I had let her go long before I admitted it to myself. I shouldn't have doubted my heart."

"Why did you...?"

"A need for closure?" Oliver shrugged and forced the truth to remain on the tip of his tongue, but not spoken. He had to keep some distance, and hurriedly continued, "I don't know. Only thing I do know is that I'm glad we pulled back when we did. There was no future for us as a couple... There could be one, though, for you and Dick."

Felicity held his gaze for a second before she whispered in a low, yet brave, voice, "I'm scared, Oliver... Of being with him. Of being without him."

"I know," Oliver smiled reassuringly as he held her gaze.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to him. Or if it's the right choice, at all."

"... So don't," Oliver suggested. "You should do what feels right."

Felicity managed a grateful smile as she distantly nodded and turned to him. "Will you take me home?"

Oliver matched her grin. "Yeah."

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Felicity?" Oliver asked as he followed Felicity to the backdoor that led down to the secret lair. The chilly February air wrapped around him like a frozen blanket and he sipped up his leather jacket and eyed the woman closely.

She turned back and nodded once. "Yeah... You're right. I'll figure it out, but not tonight. I need space to think. And this is the only place that still feels as home to me. So yeah, I'm sure."

"Okay," Oliver smiled as he accepted her decision. "Well... Goodnight then, Felicity."

"... Goodnight," the blonde offered him a small smile.

Oliver smiled and slowly nodded as he turned around and stepped back over to his motorcycle. Felicity watched as he put on his helmet and drove off into the night. With a deep sigh she pulled her gaze away and turned back to the door, she punched in the code and stepped inside.

* * *

**To be continued!**

**Preview of Episode 14 (because it's been awhile since the last teaser): The return of a familiar face causes discord between Oliver and Dick.**


	13. The Bratva Connection

**A/N: I've almost completed the overhaul of the story and the changes include rewriting the Oliver/Laurel storyline, giving more attention to smaller story lines and evolving Dick's backstory earlier on in the season. I expect to update the chapters all together (for a seamless transition) in the coming days. In the meanwhile, I present a new chapter that will lead us towards the end of our journey.**

**I have to admit; I had a lot of fun writing parts of this Episode. I hope it comes across.**

**Synopsis: Anatoly comes to Starling City in an attempt to control the Bratva branch and asks for Oliver's help. In the process, Dick reveals his dark past and his animosity towards the Russian mafia, which divides Team Arrow and forces several tough decisions to be made.**

* * *

**3x13: The Bratva Connection**

"You've done good this week, Grayson," Quentin assured as he stepped over to the younger man's desk.

The police station was busy this day, with hard-working officers and freshly caught culprits alike. It seemed Starling City's criminal activity had increased after the news had spread that Slade Wilson was alive and free. It seemed the world had gotten cockier after realizing their favorite hero had screwed up, and the police were working tirelessly to keep the city in order.

"Thank you, sir. Just doing my job," Dick nodded sharply as he rose from his seat.

"Four corrupt cops and two men of that Russian mafia behind bars in one week?" Quentin questioned. "Sounds to me like you're reaching vigilante levels."

Dick ducked his head at the imploring comment, "As I said, sir: My job. There's still much more to do before we're done."

Quentin shrugged his eyebrows in mute agreement as he hovered beside the desk. His voice was an octave lower, as he asked, "Where do you get all your intel, Grayson?"

"Can't reveal my sources, sir," Dick offered with a smirk.

"... Of course not," Quentin said, though something akin to realization flashed by in his coffee-coloured eyes. Dick couldn't help but be reminded of another man in uniform he'd greatly admired back in Gotham City. Quentin shook his head as if to step back from the edge, and instead suggested, "You're not looking for a promotion, are you?"

Dick shook his head and tried to fill his voice with as much conviction as possible, "If anyone deserves a promotion around here, sir, it's you."

Quentin smiled in silent thanks.

Dick glanced around at his co-workers briefly before he lowered his voice and asked, "Sir... Is it true about Officer Jones? Was he really released from suspicion?"

Quentin nodded in dismay as he explained, "There wasn't enough evidence to link him to any crime despite what Arrow and Nightwing did to help us catch Jones. He's been acquitted and will return to duty first thing on Monday morning."

"But he's _corrupt..._, sir," Dick breathed fervently.

"To prove that, Grayson, you need evidence of his connection to the mafia and to the corruption itself," Lance retorted knowingly. "You know the rules."

"I do. I just don't always like following them," Dick shot back and stepped around the Detective. "Excuse me, I have more work to do."

Lance glanced at the retreating man for another second before he sighed and shook his head. Young, incorruptible and with a moral compass that pointed in a decisevely narrow direction. No wonder he reminded Quentin of a younger version of himself.

* * *

"All I'm saying is that we should go after him."

"You tried that once, remember?" Felicity argued as she leaned back in her seat and faced her boyfriend. Her eyes shone with sympathy and hesitation as she pointed out, "You ended up shot in the leg."

Dick stood in the center of the lair beside her workstation, quiety fuming as he faced Felicity and Roy. "I just need him to give me _one_ name. One name is all it takes to get the new head of the Bratva branch in Starling City."

Roy exchanged a glance with the blonde woman. The younger man stepped forward and hesitantly spoke, "Look... I'll come with you if you want, but why try a faulty method twice? If it didn't work the first time..."

Dick heard the unspoken reprimand but merely shook his head. He knew what they were saying but it wouldn't be like that this time. "I've searched for other sources but no one else will talk. No one else can give me the name I need to end this. Felicity, Roy... This is what I came here for, to stop the corruption at its source and free Starling of its plague. I can't quit now. Jones won't ambush me a second time and with the two of you... We can get the confession we need. What do you say?"

Silence reigned inside the lair for a few seconds as Roy and Felicity gazed up at Dick. His eyes shifted from one to the other as he held his breath in anticipation.

At length, Felicity sighed, "... Jones knows you're after him, he knew it then and he'll know you'll try again. If we're to do this a second time... I won't have us walking into a trap. Let me call Lance. Quentin can have a patrol team standing by just in case we need backup."

Dick slowly inclined his head as his gaze flew to the younger man. "What do you think, Roy?"

"Felicity's right," Roy shrugged. "But other than that, I have no objections."

"Thank you," Dick smiled. "Suit up then, let's do this."

* * *

Roy's heart pumped in his chest as he combatted the enemies surrounding him. A man with nanchuks tried to hit him in the chest, but Roy deflected the attack and kicked the man out of the way as he had been taught to do.

Over on his right, Nightwing was busy battling two black-clad men at once and Roy sighed. This mission hadn't exactly gone according to plan so far. They'd traced Officer Jones to a small, cheap motel in the Glades, but the Officer hadn't been alone. Prepared for a fight, Jones had been surrounded by numerous allies. Even after finding themselves thus outnumbered, Nightwing had refused to contact Felicity, who waited outside with Quentin and his team of police officers.

"How about now?" Roy growled and pondered the option of calling in Oliver instead. He wasn't sure why Dick had decided to keep the green hood out of the game, but right now it felt like a bad idea.

"_No_!" Nightwing tersely replied as he swung his Escrima stick and knocked out both his opponents. "We can still do this!"

Nightwing stalked ahead towards the man half-hidden in the shadows of the hideout. Jones withdrew a gun, but the vigilante ducked low. Dick swiftly turned and stretched out a leg, pulling Jones' feet from under him. Jones fell to the ground with a loud grunt, the gun falling from his hand with a metallic clutter.

Nightwing stepped down atop of the fallen man and pressed down hard. Jones coughed in agony, unable to get away.

"Give me the name!" Nightwing growled and glanced back over his shoulder to make sure Roy was in control of his fights.

Jones laughed. "You want a name so badly? _Fine_. You'll never get to him, anyway, he's untouchable..."

"Let me be the judge of that."

"_Nudocerdo_," Jones growled. "His name is Brian Nudocerdo... And now what will you do? You'll never find enough evidence to link me to any crimes. I'll never confess."

"I won't arrest you this time, Jones," Nightwing growled in a low voice as he knelt beside the man.

Fear quickly spread like wildfire in the man's eyes as he stared up at his enemy. "...You're a vigilante!"

"Some heroes have a streak of villain in them," with those words, Nightwing snapped the man's neck. Dick gazed down at the dead man and exhaled slowly as he tightly shut his eyes.

"I called in Felicity," Roy growled from behind him only seconds before they heard the door pull open to the shabby motel room.

Felicity came to a slow halt as she saw the dead man beside Nightwing's feet and she paused to catch her breath. Her eyes were dark as she held Dick's gaze, "... You killed him."

"I got what I needed," Nightwing growled in response and turned to the policeman by her side. "Detective, before Jones passed he gave me the name of the leader of the Bratva branch in Starling City. Brian Nudocerdo."

Quentin snorted in disbelief and his gaze wandered from the vigilantes to Felicity beside him. "It's impossible. That's the new Chief of police. He was promoted shortly after Slade Wilson's army was stopped."

"Not because of merit, it would seem," Nightwing remarked and frost touched his voice.

"Jones' word isn't enough!" Quentin heatedly disagreed. "You can't ask me to bring down the Chief of police without proper evidence!"

"I'll help with that," Felicity offered in a strained voice. "If Nightwing is right... The corruption has reached the very top of the police and we have to stop it. We'll work together on this. I'll call Arrow, as well."

"Thank you, Felicity," Quentin nodded sharply.

The two looked up only to find that the two masked vigilantes had disappeared out the window and into the night. Quentin sighed as he gazed about at the unconscious men lying scattered like flies in the room.

"I'll just call this in, my patrol can handle the rest. Let's keep it to ourselves for now that we suspect the Chief of police," he said as he turned back to the woman beside him. "How about a burger to celebrate a successful case?"

Felicity exhaled in amusement and inclined her head. "A burger sounds good."

* * *

Maya made loud, happy gurgling sounds as she sat in Oliver's lap and watched her father sitting across from her in the red booth at Big Belly Burner.

Diggle smiled at the image of his daughter in his best friend's arms. He'd asked Oliver to take a night off for a while now and had been grateful when the man had finally agreed to a quiet night. Oliver needed this, he needed to see a life where he didn't have to be Arrow all the time. That there was a life to be had outside the lair. And it seemed to be doing the trick. Oliver seemed quite relaxed as he held the little girl and conversed over everyday things with his friend. There was an unusual light to his eyes as he held the baby girl that couldn't be denied, but it was mixed with an ever-present darkness and guilt.

Oliver raised his eyes then and looked up at Diggle. He sighed as he inclined his head, "Thanks, Dig. I know why we did this... Why you insisted..."

"I just think you sometimes need to be reminded of the bigger picture, Oliver," Diggle shrugged. "It is possible to have both, man. A family... a _life_... gives you something to fight for. I'm more motivated than ever to help your cause."

Oliver's smile was tighter and grimmer then, but he slowly nodded in acceptance. He abruptly shifted focus away from the topic, "Have you heard from Felicity about Dick's mission tonight?"

"I thought we agreed we wouldn't discuss work tonight," Diggle pointed out and shrugged his eyebrows.

"It's not the work I'm asking about..." Oliver tersely breathed and held the other man's gaze.

Oliver's phone started to vibrate madly beside him and he glanced down at the Caller-ID. A frown spread across his face as he picked the phone up.

* * *

The hour was late as Oliver leaned back against his motorcycle and glanced about him at the otherwise abandoned parking lot. Clouds were gathering in the heavens above, rain hanging fresh and cold in the night air. Everything was silent and calm around him, and Oliver gave himself a second to simply enjoy the quiet.

A roaring engine interrupted his moment, and he turned to face the car that approached him. The luxurious car had tinted windows and its very own personal driver, but Oliver wasn't fooled by the exterior. He smiled as the car stopped and the door to the backseat opened to reveal a familiar face.

Anatoly Knyazev stepped out of the vehicle with both grace and an air of achieved power that kept him warm in the chill night. He looked just as he had last time Oliver had seen him in Russia. Anatoly held out his arms wide as he stepped towards the other man and his grin was wide and genuine. The bearded man shook Oliver's hand brotherly and bowed his head in greeting of an old ally.

"Anatoly," Oliver smiled.

"Zdorovo, droog. Kak dyela?" (Hello, friend. How are you?")

"Khorosho..." Oliver inclined his head. "A oo tyebya?" (Good. And you?")

"Nye ochyen..." Anatoly hesitated and his thick Russian accept was crisp in the night as he shifted to English, "I am sure you must wonder why I am here. It is a long story, but I will give the short version now. There has been some... problem recently with the Bratva branch here in Starling City. The new Captain is acting irregular and refuses to follow my strict command. I had to come personally to make sure he is either stopped... or taught proper manners." (Not so good)

Oliver grimaced as he heard the unspoken suggestion and pushed for more, "Let me guess... You thought I could help you control him."

Anatoly shrugged innocently as he glanced back at his car. "The thought had struck me. It is too complicated to handle on my own. Will you help an old comrade, Oliver?"

* * *

"Why aren't we in the lair?" Dick questioned as he gazed about in the unfamiliar, narrow corridor. He walked a step behind Felicity as she led the way towards their goal with an air of familiarity. She'd obviously been here before, and Dick thought it mildly surprising that he hadn't been here even once so far, all things considering. Then again, maybe he wasn't so surprised, after all. "Why did Oliver want to meet in his flat instead?"

Felicity glanced over her shoulder and shrugged. Her long locks flowed across her back with the motion. "He doesn't want to compromise the lair."

Dick frowned, unwilling to accept that explanation as he asked, "... Who could he know that he doesn't want to bring to the lair, Felicity?"

The blonde offered him an apologetic smile as she stopped before a grey door at the end of the hall. She knocked firmly on the door as she breathed, "I guess we're about to find out."

"Voyditye!" (Come in!)

Dick did a double-take at the unexpected word and stuttered, "W-was that... _Oliver_? Oliver speaks Russian?"

"Eh... Yeah," Felicity offered as she opened the door and stepped into the hall. She removed her pale cloak and hung it aside, glancing back over her shoulder to see Dick remove his own black, leather jacket and stepping after her. She walked further into Oliver's apartment as she called, "... Oliver?"

The couple stepped into the small yet spacious living room and stopped in the open doorway. Oliver stood leaned back against his dining room table as Anatoly reclined in the sofa. The Russian rose as he saw the guests and faced the blonde woman first.

"_Ah_..." the man breathed as he stepped towards Felicity. He clasped her hand in his and gently kissed the back of her hand. "Lovely to see you again, Ms Smoak."

"You too, Anatoly," Felicity smiled back and managed to mask her surprise as Oliver stepped towards them.

Oliver could see the tension in Dick's shoulders spread with each heartbeat. Felicity had mentioned the man's problem with the Bratva in the past, and Oliver delicately broached the matter now, "Dick... I'd like you to meet Anatoly Knyasev."

Dick simply frowned as he shook the Russian's hand. He found his voice before long and his gaze flew between the others as he said, "I know that name. You're the leader - the _pakhan_ - of the Solntsevskaya Bratva."

"Why, yes," Anatoly agreed with a firm nod and his hesitant eyes sought out Oliver's for confirmation.

Oliver inhaled sharply and explained, "Anatoly has come to ask us for our help in a small matter."

"... Why you?"

"It's... not easy to explain," Oliver tilted his head to the side with a grimace. "I met Anatoly when I was stranded on the Island. I saved his life."

"_Twice_," Anatoly intercepted.

"He..." Oliver cleared his throat as he held Dick's gaze. "The short version is that our acquaintance led me to become a... Captain."

Dick slowly wet his lips and pointed a finger at Oliver as he searched for words to make sense of the entire ordeal. "... _You..._ a Captain in _Bratva_?"

"Yes," Oliver admitted curtly. Beside him, Anatoly wearily eyed the seething man before them and took a step backwards.

At the admission, Dick's face faltered and he gazed at Oliver as if he was seeing him for the first time. Something had irrevocably shifted in Dick's eyes and he seemed unable to process the information. Like a hyena waiting to prey on the dead, anger edged around in the corners of Dick's eyes as he held Oliver's gaze fixed and ready.

"... You've better be joking," Dick spoke slowly, as if it took all his will-power not to explode.

"Dick...?" Felicity asked in concern and took a step closer to the man. "What's wrong?"

"_Wrong_?!" Dick swirled around to face the blonde with incredulous disbelief. "What's wrong is that your friend here is part of the Russian mafia, and a Captain at that, Felicity! Do you have any idea what that means?! What you have to commit to even be _considered_ for such a position? Hmm?"

"_Hey_... I don't know what you're so upset about," Oliver said and took a step forward. "But you're angry with me, so don't take it out on her."

"Is that so, Oliver?" Dick followed orders and turned back to the man in question. "Then why don't you tell her about the crimes you committed to be a part of the world's most dangerous criminal league. Go on."

Oliver exhaled slowly, but Felicity raised her hand and stepped in between the two men before another word could be uttered.

"It's the _past_, Dick," the blonde said sternly. "No one in this room is a saint, but we all accept each other for who we are. We don't judge each other for our past sins. Can you at least hear him out...?"

"_Past sins_?" Dick laughed, the sound was desperate, angry and frustrated all at once as he stalked away from the others. He visibly shook with anger as he cried, "Felicity, it was a Bratva Captain who murdered my parents in cold blood!"

The room fell silent at the sudden outburst and Felicity closed her eyes.

She swallowed and quietly said, "... I... I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't... I never speak of it. I've only ever told two people before now," Dick exhaled slowly and some of his rage faded into the edges of the apartment. His shoulders slumped as he turned his attention back to Oliver and sighed, "...I won't apologize for the way I just acted... but I will remove myself before I say or do something I'll regret."

Felicity shook her head as she stepped towards him, one hand coming up to rest on the fabric of his chest. "Dick, I-"

"Let me go, Felicity."

Felicity saw the demons plague his eyes and lowered her hand slowly. She silently watched as the man walked away and listened to the front door slamming shut behind him. Oliver saw the desolate expression flee across the blonde's face and closed his eyes tight. Anatoly looked from Oliver to Felicity as the tense silence settled over their small team.

"_Bratva_... Always an icebreaker..." the bearded man remarked in an attempt to defuse the lingering tension.

* * *

Felicity unlocked the door to Dick's apartment and quietly stepped inside. She closed the door and kicked off her shoes as she stepped further into the heart of the flat. The place was bathed in darkness, but still she could feel his presence in the room.

She stepped into the living room and hesitated before she turned on the overhead lights. As the room was illuminated, Felicity saw a lone figure sitting on the middle of the sofa as if he was a desolate island in a vast wilderness.

"That's a bit bright..." Dick squinted against the lamps and covered his eyes briefly.

Felicity sighed as she sank onto the sofa beside him and whispered, "Are you okay?"

Dick shook his head and his gaze remained downcast as he uttered, "...I find it amusing, you know."

"What?"

"That when I find out the identity of the Captain to the Starling branch of Bratva... Oliver introduces us to the _patkah_ soon after and wants said Captain gone. Too much of a coincidence, don't you think?"

"So?"

Dick wearily sighed and turned to face her with contempt and irritation passing through his eyes at full speed. "Felicity, open your eyes! Or is Oliver such a saint to your eyes that you-"

"You don't have the right to speak about Oliver that way, Richard! Nor to me in such a manner," she fiercely interrupted. "I'm not blind or stupid, Dick, I know what's going on. But I _know_ Oliver and he doesn't have anything to do with how this has played out, so no, I don't blame him. He's made it quite clear in the past that he's distanced himself from the Russian mafia. I don't trust them, either, but _I do_ trust Anatoly."

"_Oh_!" Dick breathed, hurt touching the edge of his frail voice. "So you're friendly with the Russian mobster, too?"

Felicity frowned. "I wouldn't call it that. It's not like I call Anatoly up every Friday night to dish over cute babushkas. But I do trust him. He would never betray Oliver... and he helped us once in Moscow. We _owe_ him!"

"So you're allies with the Bratva?"

"You're twisting my words, Dick," Felicity exhaled in desperation. "Please, won't you listen to me?"

Something in the man's demeanor changed and he slumped lower in the sofa. "What if... I asked you not to help him?"

"Don't," she shook her head slowly and her eyes filled with hesitant conviction. "This isn't about me making a choice, Richard. This is about a friend who needs our help."

"But you _are_ choosing," Dick firmly contended. "And you're choosing _him_."

"Anatoly needs-"

Dick's head whipped in her direction and he swiftly interrupted, "I wasn't talking about the Russian."

Felicity blinked and her expression faltered as she let his words settle in her heart. At length, she shook her head to clear it and breathed, "Then you're being unfair... I've already given you the reasons why I want to help Anatoly. Besides, I can still do some good while helping him. Anatoly explained his mission to me after you'd gone. He wants to control his own ranks, and has asked Oliver to remove the Captain in whichever way Oliver deem fit. Anatoly isn't demanding Oliver to kill the Captain, he's _asking_ him the opposite. We'll be containing the Bratva and removing a dangerous threat from the streets."

Dick snorted unkindly. "He is the mafia, Felicity... he doesn't _ask_ anything."

"No. Anatoly can't trust this haywire Captain, and is asking us to get him permanently behind bars."

"Felicity..." Dick exhaled in disbelieving amusement. "Oliver is harboring one of the most lethal and dangerous men in the world, and you are helping him. In extension; you are helping the Russian mafia."

The blonde lowered her gaze briefly as she tried to collect her scattered thoughts. At length, she cautiously looked up and breathed, "... Will you tell me? What happened to your family? _Please_. Help me understand."

Dick slowly shook his head and tears danced in his dark eyes as he revealed the truth, "... I was ten. I don't have many memories from that time, but I remember this night. It sticks out in a sea of mist. I remember that it had just stopped raining... and I was jumping in rain pools as we were walking home one night. Me and my parents. Then a man suddenly appeared from the shadows. He had a Russian accent and demanded to find someone. He was a rookie, he mistook my parents for another couple he was supposed to find. When my mother tried to correct him... he freaked and shot them both. Right before my eyes. For some reason, he didn't kill me. He just wiped the blood off his gun and disappeared into the night again."

Felicity exhaled in despair as she scooted closer to him and whispered, "Oh my God... Dick..."

The man swallowed before he found the strength to continue, "I lived on the street in Gotham, learned how to pickpocket and made my way in the shadows of the city. Then one day when I was twenty, I crossed paths with a masked vigilante wearing a cape and a bat on his suit. _Batman_. Or as I also came to know him; Bruce Wayne. Bruce took me under his wings and taught me everything about survival and fighting. I became his partner, and we patrolled the streets together... Around this time, I learned the identity of my parents' killers: Igor Stravskiy. Ukrainian. He was a _torpedo_ for Solntsevskaya Bratva. Batman and I searched him out. Killed him... It was my first kill... and I've never looked back since. It didn't change anything... but it was justice. So you see, Felicity... Why I might struggle with this."

Tears danced in Felicity's eyes as she reached out for him. She pressed a kiss to a cheek before she pulled him close. Dick buried his face in the crook of her neck and held her as close as possible.

* * *

"It's not a simple language," Anatoly agreed. "I'll help you get started. 'Khorosho'. It means good."

Felicity brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear as she turned in the carseat to face the man. She licked her lips and tried to mimic him, "Kh-...Kho-..."

"Khorosho."

"Right. _Khorosho_."

Anatoly nodded. "Excellent, Ms Smoak. Then there's 'Plokho'. Means Bad."

"...'Plokho'. Good to know. Good place to... start," she glanced out the car window and saw the black motorcycle enter the alley further ahead. "Oh, here's Oliver."

Both Anatoly and Felicity exited the Jeep and stepped into the alleyway. The hour was still quite early in the day, it was barely past noon, and the skies were pale and grey above them. Both Anatoly and Felicity wore simple, dark clothes that didn't stand out too much in the afternoon. Oliver, too, was dressed in his suede leather jacket and black jeans. He removed his helmet and turned his attention to Felicity the second he turned back to them.

"... Dick's not coming then?" he asked and his eyes danced with an unspoken apology for putting her between a rock and a hard place.

The blonde shook her head and tugged on the sleeves of her own suede jacket. "No."

"We will manage without him, no?" Anatoly asked hopefully.

Oliver shrugged. "We'll see. And you're certain this is the place, Felicity?"

"Yes," Felicity nodded and turned towards the building further away. "If Anatoly's information's correct, that's the new base of operations for Bratva here in Starling."

"Remember," Oliver said and gave her a pointed look. "We're only here to scout right now."

"You may scout all you want," a throaty voice spoke from above. The trio turned in surprise as they saw a man in black gazing down at them from the rooftop of a low shed. In his hands rested a semi-automatic, aimed towards the three in the secluded alley. "All you'll find is trouble here today."

In the flash of a moment, Oliver pulled out a hidden flechette from his sleeve and hauled it at the man. It hit the assassin in the chest. The man looked startled for a second before his eyes rolled to the back of his skull and he fell backwards and out of sight.

"Sedative? I like that," Anatoly remarked with an energetic nod as he pointed in the direction of the roof.

"Come on," Oliver breathed and tugged on the man's jacket. He turned towards the Jeep, but several shots suddenly echoed from above. They pierced the hood of the car and embedded themselves in the large tires. Felicity and Anatoly gasped in surprise and ducked low as Oliver hovered before them, warily trying to grasp where the shooter was standing. He saw another man with a rifle stand on the opposite building and grimaced.

Felicity turned to Anatoly and breathed, "... Plokho?"

"Yes," the Russian fervently nodded as his wide eyes found hers. "_Very plokho_."

"Come on," Oliver pushed them both up from the ground and grabbed hold of Felicity's hand. "_Run_!"

He pulled on her arm and she steadied her rhythm accordingly. He took a sharp left turn and gazed behind to make sure Anatoly was close behind. Bullets pierced the walls on either side of them and Oliver gently tugged on Felicity's hand, urging her to run even faster. There were gunmen on both sides of the narrow alley and he felt adrenaline sharpen his mind and stamina. As he ran, Oliver managed to throw another flechette at one of the men above, but it narrowly missed its target.

"_Faster_!" Anatoly urged as they ran another corner. They ducked low behind containers and dumpsters as they searched for a way out.

Oliver gazed ahead and made a quick judgment call. A fence blocked their escape now, but the option of going back wasn't viable at this moment. Not unless they wanted to be pumped up with lead.

"Come here," Oliver called as they ran towards the fence. Felicity's hand still rested safe in his own as he pushed her forward. Anatoly pulled out a small, hidden gun from his waistband and provided them with a cover as he stood before them alike a human shield.

"Uh-uh, Oliver," the blonde breathed. "I don't know how to do parkour!"

"You're about to get a crash course!" Oliver spoke as he swiftly knelt before her, cupping his hands and expectantly holding it out for her. "Give me your foot. _Hurry_, Felicity."

Felicity barely hesitated as she placed her foot in his hands and grabbed hold of the top of the fence as Oliver pushed her upwards. "I've got it!" she said and managed to pull herself up and over, landing ungracefully on the ground on the other side.

"Go!" Anatoly ordered as he fired another shot against the attackers.

Oliver didn't hesitant as he hauled himself up the fence with ease and flipped over it, landing on the ground next to Felicity. He pulled her to her feet and smiled, "That was easy, wasn't it?"

They paused as Anatoly cried out in pain and fell to the ground beside the fence. A small dot of blood appeared on his shoulder and he wheezed in agony.

"_No_!" Oliver shouted as he threw himself towards the fence.

Another scream echoed through the afternoon then and both Felicity and Oliver turned as they saw a figure fall from the rooftops. The dead gunman landed on the ground, his neck twisted beyond normal capacity.

Dick leapt off the rooftop a second after, throwing a batarang at the men on the rooftop across from him. The remaining Bratva guards also fell dead as Dick landed on the ground in the alley.

His eyes were dark and something unreadable propelled him towards Anatoly. Dick viciously snarled as he knelt beside the Russian, blind fury having overtaken his body and soul. He whipped out another batarang and glared down at the man in his grasp.

"_Richard!_"

Dick and Anatoly turned as they heard Felicity's cry pierce the silence. Reluctantly, Dick sighed and released his hold of the man's jacket. He stepped back and Anatoly crawled to his feet.

* * *

Anatoly winced as Felicity stitched up the wound on his left shoulder. They'd ended up in the lair, in the end, since Anatoly's involvement and presence in Starling was better kept under lids. There was no point in taking him to the hospitals, unless they wanted a bigger circus than the one they were already in.

Felicity couldn't help but sympathetically wince as she met the man's gaze, "I'm sorry."

"No, no," Anatoly assured. "Do not apologize. You are saving me, Felicity."

"You're lucky it was a through-and-through," the woman suggested with a shrug as she finished up and packed away the suture kit. "Or so _he_ says. I wouldn't have used the word 'luck' and 'through-and-through' in the same sentence. "

Oliver stepped towards the two in the medical area and smiled down at the blonde. "Good work, Felicity."

"Yes," Anatoly agreed as he eyed the patch that covered the stitches. With a sigh he pulled up his shirt and buttoned it. "It's not bad. Though it makes me believe maybe I should have gone to the Bahamas, after all."

Oliver chuckled low in amusement as he inclined his head.

Dick cleared his throat from the sidelines and the others turned to face him. The tall man shifted his weight from one foot to the other, seemingly like a lost child, as he searched for words to convey his intentions, "... You want to stop Brian Nudocerdo. Correct?"

Anatoly inclined his head briskly. "_Da_."

"... I can help you with that," Dick suggested, though the words seemed to get stuck in his throat as if they were made of barbed-wire. "But I have a condition. I'll help you, but only on my terms. The Bratva branch in Starling will shut down or relocate after Nudocerdo is taken down. The police will arrest whomever doesn't flee."

Anatoly shook his head as he rose from the table and stepped towards the man, "... I cannot-"

"It's my terms, and I think you should consider... since I did save your life," Dick interrupted fiercely and extended his hand towards the Russian. There was no room for debate and they both knew it. Dick shrugged his eyebrows. "Do you accept?"

Anatoly exhaled slowly as he shook the other man's hand. "You drive a hard bargain, Mr Grayson."

"I have a plan," Oliver spoke up and the others turned to him expectantly. "The men who attacked us today clearly don't know who Anatoly was, or they wouldn't have fired at us. Call Nudocerdo, Anatoly. Demand a meeting in their new base tonight. He'll gather the other members here in Starling, and we'll have them all in one place. Anatoly will remove himself and as soon as he's out we'll swoop in, with Detective Lance as backup."

"Actually, I have another suggestion to add to that," Felicity raised her voice and stepped over to her computers. She opened a file and pulled it onto the wide-screen that sat on the wall and the men turned towards the image, depicting the area they were currently discussing. "I checked up on the location and found out why the Bratva found it so... favorable. It seems this is the area in Starling where the police make the fewest rounds. No doubt due to corruption. They're using the one warehouse as a base of operations, and the other for storing illegal weapons meant to be shipped off and sold to dictators."

"That is right," Anatoly nodded in affirmation.

"Well, how about we make it simple?" Felicity shrugged. "How about while you two take out the members, I'll blow up the second warehouse full of illegal goods?"

Anatoli eyed the blonde beside him as an intrigued grin spread across his lips. Slowly, he turned to gaze up at Oliver and remarked, "You have a very particular taste in women, Oliver."

* * *

In the cover of darkness, Nightwing and Arrow easily took down the guards on the roof above the Bratva location without alerting anyone's attention. They crouched low as they looked in through a dirty window, careful to remain out of sight even from this vantage point.

Far below, they saw Anatoly stand before a crowd of approximately fifty men, speaking to them in Russian. Next to him on the podium in the vast hall, stood a stout man. His hair was greying and his eyes dark as night. The aging police man still carried himself with a straight back, something Oliver recognized well in a cop's body language. Nudocerdo had a certain gleam to his eyes as he beheld his leader. Oliver didn't like it. He had a feeling the man would attempt to take out Anatoly if he should be given the chance and Oliver hastily withdrew an arrow, aiming at the man just in case.

Dick noticed the flurry of motion and followed the man's line of sight. "...Why not let them kill each other? They're the bad guys, aren't they? Why not let them do all the job for us?"

"Because that logic..." Oliver breathed tersely. "... is _their_ logic. Anatoly is an old friend, and someone who's saved my life. I'll always help a friend. That's _my_ logic."

Dick sighed into the cold night air but his answer remained unspoken, though Oliver practically felt wave after wave of disagreement exude from the man.

They watched as Anatoly finished his speech to the sounds of a loud round of applause that echoed through the building. The Russian bowed his head to his crowd before he stepped off the platform, giving room for Nudocerdo to speak next.

Oliver's gaze trailed after Anatoly as the man hastily made his exit. Oliver pressed his comm link and spoke, "Felicity, Anatoly's on his way out. Dick and I are going in."

"Be careful," came her swift reply.

Oliver inclined his head to Dick, and the latter hastily broke the window before them and threw a couple of smoke bombs inside.

Dick smirked as he waved a hand towards the hole. "Ladies first."

* * *

Anatoly pulled upon the backdoor to the van and smiled at the blonde woman as he stepped into the car and joined her side.

"They're in," Felicity breathed and nodded to the camera feed that showed on her tablet.

Anatoly took it from her hands and gazed down at the image. It showed the inside of the first warehouse and though it seemed to be mainly covered in a thick smoke, he could catch the odd glimpse of the fight taking place inside. His expression remained solemn but he inclined his head in acceptance nonetheless.

Felicity dialed a familiar number and pressed the phone to her ear. "Detective Lance? You're good to go."

As she hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket, she picked up a small device and exhaled. She eyed the control that would set off the explosives she'd rigged around the second warehouse and swallowed. "Now we just await the confirmation."

* * *

Oliver groaned as a kick caught him in the chest, but soon found his balance once more. He punched his attacker with his bow and watched as the woman fell to the ground and remained down.

As the smoke settled around him, he got a better view of the situation. He and Dick were greatly outnumbered, but had thus far made it out unharmed in the commotion that had followed the smoke bombs. He heard several moans from his left and turned as he saw Dick knock out two more men with guns in their hands.

Suddenly, Oliver heard several sirens blaring from outside the wide gates and felt the panic increase inside the room at once. Several terrified mafia members turned towards the exits in an attempt to flee, but the police was already invading the room like ants in a stack.

"SCPD, nobody move!" Lance cried out as he led the troops into the warehouse. "You're all under arrest!"

As expected, his call only further drove the others towards desperation and everyone pulled out their guns and other weapons, reluctant to give up their freedom without a fight.

Lance ducked a shot and rushed towards the platform where he'd last seen the Chief of police. He leapt onto the podium and aimed his gun at the man who lay shivering on the cold floor.

"Nudocerdo..." Lance breathed as he stepped closer. "You're under-"

His voice cut off as something small and black came flying out of the crowds, hitting the Chief of police square in the chest. Quentin spun around as he saw Nightwing several yards away. The vigilante stood his ground for another second, holding his chin high, before he turned back to the fight. Quentin sighed as he knelt beside the dead Nudocerdo.

* * *

After several minutes of watching the fight on the tablet, Oliver's strained voice finally spoke over the commlinks," _Felicity_? Nudocerdo is down. Blow the warehouse up."

"On it." Felicity fervently nodded as she pulled the lever. Nothing happened. "Oh, come on."

Oliver sounded confused and irritated as his voice filled her ear, "... Felicity?"

"It's good. It's fine. It just needs a little love and-" Felicity cut herself off as Anatoly pulled the control from her hand.

Anatoly slammed his hand on the side of the small device a couple of times and then pressed the lever once more. The building outside the van exploded in a maddening frenzy. Felicity blinked up at the devouring flames and slowly turned to face the Russian beside her.

Anatoly shrugged. "Sorry. Russian solution."

* * *

Hours later, Quentin leaned back in his chair and gazed down at his report. 45 mafia members arrested, 4 killed in the mayhem that had ensued... and no police casualties. All in all, he thought, a very good night.

There was a knock on his booth and Quentin turned as he saw Frank Pike, dressed in a suit as always, enter his booth.

"I hear you had a very successful evening, Quentin," the man offered in greeting.

"Yeah..." Quentin smiled. "That's one way of putting it. Granted, I would have preferred Nudocerdo behind bars... but at least he won't be making any more trouble."

"As far as I gather, the entire Bratva branch in Starling City is down for the count..." the lieutenant pointed out and pride crept into his low voice. "_And_ you've helped quench the corruption within the police force."

Lance merely shrugged as he embraced the kind words. "I was just doing my job, sir."

Frank chuckled. "Yes, you did... _Captain_."

Quentin blinked as he slowly rose from his seat. "Did you just say...?"

"Congratulations, Quentin, you're being promoted to Captain. Frankly, I think you should have been promoted to Captain already after Slade Wilson's attack on Starling... but better later than never, right?" Frank winked as he handed over the brand new badge.

Quentin couldn't help his smirk from widening as he accepted the badge and gazed down at it with pride.

* * *

"So... I just dropped Anatoly off at the airport," Felicity breathed as she stepped into Dick's flat and found him reclined in the sofa.

She could tell there was something different about the air and she faltered in the open doorway. Dick turned towards her with acceptance in his eyes as he rose and exhaled slowly. He kept his distance as he looked across the gap at her and sighed, "How about... you and I stop fooling each other and do the right thing."

Felicity smiled in confusion. "What do you mean?"

The man grimaced as he stepped closer towards the blonde woman. "Please, don't... Just... Don't play dumb or ridicule my attempt. I'm trying to be better here."

Felicity's smile faded as Dick held her gaze. The silence around her was deafening and she lowered her gaze to the floor with a strained breath. "... Okay."

"We both know this won't work. That we have an expiration date that we're quickly approaching," Dick hesitated and swallowed past the bile that was threatening to rise within his throat. "You're one of the most fascinating, amazing people I've ever met, Felicity... I don't want you to ever doubt your own potential. But... we're just not meant to be."

Felicity felt the truth wash over her and clenched her eyes shut for a second. Eventually, she found the strength to raise her gaze and look into the man's eyes. "No... We're not. And you're not so bad yourself, you know."

"He's lucky, you know... To have your love," Dick smiled as he distantly nodded. "... I'm leaving Starling, Felicity. I think we both need some space, and... Besides, I've done what I came here to do. Starling City's not plagued by the Bratva anymore and the corruption is pretty low, at least for the moment."

"Where will you go?"

Dick's grin widened as his gaze warmed. "_Home_. I think it's time to pay an old friend a visit."

* * *

Oliver exhaled slowly and grimaced as he felt the needle pierce his skin. Diggle slowly stitched up a nasty cut on Oliver shoulder blade. The lair was otherwise quiet and empty and Oliver reveled in the notion of some solitude after a crazy twenty-four hours.

"It's not that bad," Diggle said as he assessed the damage. "It'll heal in no time. Shouldn't interfere with your work."

"I know," Oliver nodded and grimaced to himself once more. "I can't help but wonder... if I pushed Dick too far, Dig. He didn't want to help, but I knew he'd worked harder than anyone for this cause. I needed his help in the field."

"Oliver-"

"Diggle..." Oliver breathed tensely and the truth was harder to admit than he'd been prepared for. "I need you, too. Yes, I'm reluctant to endanger your life because of your family, but you were right... I rely on you. All of you. And you can have both lives..."

Diggle smiled in appreciation. "That's all I wanted to hear, Oliver. I'm glad you're coming to your senses."

"Let's not get carried away here," Oliver said and the two men chuckled.

"...Hey, guys. Thought I'd find you here."

Both Oliver and Diggle raised their gazes in surprise as they saw Felicity slowly descend the steps to the lair.

Felicity stopped at the bottom step and inhaled the familiar scents around her, taking comfort in their constancy and the strange safety they offered her. She turned to her left and met Diggle and Oliver's questioning gazes. Her broken heart beat slightly out of rhythm, but the image of them pieced it back together a little.

"Hey..." Oliver breathed as she stepped towards them. "I thought you were at home with Dick...?"

Felicity bobbed her head in a non-committed nod as she stepped around the steel table to stand beside Diggle. Without a word, she reached for the needle in his hand and looked up at him. Diggle offered her a worried frown but nodded as he handed her the needle without objection.

Diggle slowly stepped around the table and inclined his head towards the stairs. "How about... I buy us all some coffee? Felicity, hot cocoa for you?"

"Please," she whispered and offered him a warm smile.

Diggle inclined his head sharply as he turned and walked up the steps. The lair fell silent once more as Felicity set to work. Oliver felt her hands softly steer the needle through his skin and stitch him back together.

"Dick went back to Gotham. For good, I think."

"What...?" Oliver breathed as his heart plummeted with concern for her. He tried to turn in his seat, but she gently pushed on his back.

"I'm not done yet," she breathed and Oliver stopped. He faced forward once more and exhaled wearily as she continued to stitch his back.

Oliver searched for words to ease her discomfort, "Long distance doesn't have to-"

"No. It's over," she assured him with a distant tone he couldn't quite place.

"... It's my fault. And Bratva, I shouldn't have pushed-"

"It's no one's fault. It's _life_, Oliver," Felicity disagreed in a low, gentle voice. She finished the suturing and slowly patched him up.

Oliver exhaled unsteadily and his chin fell to his chest. "I'm still sorry, Felicity."

"I'm... not," Felicity spoke and her words were filled with both sorrow and surprise as she hurriedly blurted, "Don't get me wrong. Of course it hurts right now. I don't know... I do care for him, a lot... _but_... I wasn't _in love_ with him. You were right. I wanted emotions to be there even though they weren't. We both did, and we just couldn't fool each other anymore. It was... mutual. Sort of. I know that must probably sound slightly schizophrenic, but I... I'll be alright. It had to be done, because..."

When her words trailed off into nothingness, Oliver turned in his seat to face her. Her eyes danced with emotions behind a thin veil as she held his gaze captive. He could see everything that remained unspoken between them and for the first time, he didn't feel like hesitating around her. He could see her love for him glisten in the deep pools. He could see her doubts plain and simple, and felt a need to reassure her he shared the same heart. Still, he held back as he also saw her raw sorrow mingle with every other emotion in her eyes. She needed time to recover and get over this break up, but this time he wouldn't step back.

He exhaled slowly as he placed a hand on her shoulder and let it linger there, conveying what words could not in this moment in time.

She blinked and lowered her gaze, however, which made Oliver frown in response. He saw her raise a wall as she once more met his gaze and he could see she had misinterpreted his attempt at comfort.

"I know it's unthinkable, Oliver-" she began and her voice filled with acceptance.

Oliver shook his head firmly. "_Felicity_... It never was. Not to me."

Her sapphire pools widened in surprise. "... _Oh!_"

Oliver's gaze roamed across hers as he saw the surprise settle into knowledge and understanding in her eyes. In the end, another inch of sorrow seemed to melt away from her eyes as she offered him a small smile.

* * *

"Thanks for letting me stay here," Felicity smiled as Quentin held open the door for her. "I wasn't really sure where else to go, though I'm fortunate to have a few options."

"Hey, my place is always open for the broken hearted," Quentin smiled as he nodded towards the pink suitcase in his hand. "I'll just drop this in the spare bedroom and I'll be right with you, okay?"

Felicity smiled gratefully and nodded. "Okay."

"Make yourself at home in the meanwhile."

Felicity sank onto the sofa as he slipped out of the room, and soon lost herself in thought.

Her life fit in a single suitcase.

She hadn't really stopped to consider it after Slade had burned down her home, how much she had actually lost in the fire. She'd stayed with Dick's so often, and in the lair the rest of the time, that there hadn't been any need to get new stuff except for clothes. But now when Dick had moved out of town, Felicity had packed all her belongings into one bag and found herself once more without a place to stay.

She wasn't sure what had made her call Quentin, but it had her choice in the end. It was the least complicated of all her options, and he'd offered her his spare bedroom without a moment's hesitation. With fatherly concern, he had opened his home to her and the notion touched her heart.

Torn between gratitude of his parental protection, grief over losing someone who'd been a major part of her life these past months and acceptance of the man who truly held her heart, Felicity felt overwhelmed and tears rolled down her cheeks.

* * *

On the fire escape opposite Quentin's flat, Oliver sat crouched out of sight. He wore his Arrow outfit, but had yet to pull up his hood or put on his mask, as he peaked a glimpse into a life he one day wanted to be part of.

As he looked, he saw Felicity break down in tears. Oliver felt his heart constrict for her and he closed his eyes tight. He heard Quentin re-join her then and looked down at the visage before him that played out in the night. He was too far away to hear what they were saying, but he watched as the man, who'd become something of a father figure for the young blonde these past few months, sank onto the pillows next to Felicity and pulled her close while whispering something to her.

Quentin's hand gently stroked across her back as she wept and Oliver exhaled in relief. He knew Quentin Lance would do everything in his power to help the young woman recover, and with a final nod, Oliver hauled himself over the railing and disappeared into the night.

* * *

**To be continued!**


End file.
